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HISTORY AND CAMP LIFE 



OF 



COMPANY C, 

FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASSACHUSETTS 
VOLUNTEER MILITIA, 

1862-1863. 



/ 

BY C. F. PIERCE 




WORCESTER : 
PRINTED BY CHARLES HAMILTON, 
311 MAIN STREET. 
1886. 






..c 



INTRODUCTION. 



In presenting this book to the kind consideration of the friends 
of Company C, it should be said that it was not the intention to 
write any extended history of the company, but to give in 
abstract its experiences, its roster, the military record of each 
comrade, copies of orders and reports from our colonel, and 
extracts of letters and diaries from different members of the 
company. These extracts were written at the time the events 
occurred and present in a vivid way how army life appeared 
at the time when the comrades were "army boys," not only in 
name but in age. There are different accounts of the same 
event, but it will be noticed that while they agree in facts they 
do not present the same word-pictures. They give the life as 
it actually was to the company and not tinged by the after- 
thought of mature years nor by any social or military position 
which any may have reached afterwards. 

It is not thought that the company had any very exciting 
adventures, but its members were always ambitious to do their 
best, ready and willing to obey orders. A soldier when 
mustered into the service of the United States could not always 
march to that line of action which he had traced out, whether 
on the bayous of the Mississippi, or the malarial swamps of the 
Neuse or James ; if he but did his duty in that station in which 
he was placed, he should not be judged for not making as lasting 
an impress on the pages of history as those comrades who were 



IV INTRODUCTION. 

SO fortunate as to be in some of the decisive battles which were 
turns of the scroll in our Nation's history and glory. 

Our eleven months' service was a good preparatory school for 
many who served in other regiments. Leaving out those who 
died, or were transferred or discharged for disability or wounds, 
and those promoted from the company to the rank of sergeant- 
major and commissary-sergeant for the regiment, the number in 
the company was eighty-three. Of these thirty-one re-enlisted 
and served their country afterwards in the war of the rebellion 
as follows : one as colonel, three as captains, two as first lieu- 
tenants, two as second lieutenants, ten as sergeants, seven as 
corporals, six as privates ; and these participated in battles and 
skirmishes in all the States from Virginia to Florida, as the 
roster shows in detail. ^ 

The portraits in this book are as those in the Souvenir, 
reproduced from copies made in 1862. 

C. F. PIERCE. 

WORCESTEK, December, 1886. 



ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. 



}■ 



,opp. page 9 



Colonel A. B. R. Spragiie, 
Lieutenaut-Colouel J. M. Studley, 
Major E. A. Harkness, 
Adjutant J. Stewart Brown, 
Quartermaster Benj. D. Dwinnell, 

Captain T. W. Higginson, ") 

Captain J. M. Goodell, ! 

Lieutenant L. H. Bigelow, f 

Lieutenant J. O. Bemis, J 

Map. Department of North Carolina opp. page 33 

Map. New Berne and vicinity opp. page 38 

Map. Battle of Whitehall, N. C opp. page 61 

Views of Fort Macon, N. C opp. page 1 11 

Map of the Maryland Campaign opp. page 119 



opp. page 23 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE, 

Advertisements relating to the Company 9, 10, 1 1 

Aklrieh, Mayor P. P^mory 10, 11 

Anbiirn, entertainment at 12 

Amory, Colonel T. J. C 13, 16, 19, 117 

Baldwin, John S 10 

Belger Barracks 20, 22, 12G 

Briggs, Brigadier-General H. S 21, 22, 119 

Battles, names inscribed on flags 16 

Boonsboro, Md 21,119,128,129 

Berlin, Md 22,119,120,130 

Belger's Battery 65 

Company F, Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment 10 

City Hall, entertainment at 12 

Colors, presentation of 13 

Company Officers, election of 11,16 

Cedar Point, expedition to ; . 17, 106-109 

Chapin, Judge Henry ... 12 

Camps : 

John E. Wool 11,12 

Foster Barracks. .. .. 13-16, 18, 34, 35, 113-117 

Studley 16, 51, 99-105 

Wellington 18,114-117 

Morehead City 13, 16, 17, 99-105 

Fort Macon 18,110-113 

Belger Barracks 1 19, 1 22, 1 26 

Circular relating to the term of service of nine months' troops.. . 19 

Duties at camp 12, 15, 47, 1 14 

Dnnlap, Sergeant George Vj 12, 16 

Deep Gully, expedition to 16,51, 99-105 

Dix, Major General John A . , 20, 1 1 8 

Election of Company officers 11,16 

p:ighth Massachusetts Regiment 20, 21, 33, 40, 69, 119 

Elder, Lieutenant M 11 



CONTENTS. Vll 

First meeting of the Company 9 

First street drill 10 

First guard duty . . 11 

First dress-parade 13 

Foster, Calvin 11 

Field-officers, election of 12 

Frankle, Major Jones 14 

Fort Macon, life at 110-113 

Fort Duncan 21 , 119 

Foster Barracks, Camp-life at 113-117 

Foster, Major-General John G .... 15, 16 

Forty-third Massachusetts Regiment 20, 21,35, 41, 86, 123 

Forty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment 13, 34, 35, 41, 86 

Forty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment 20, 21, 35, 1 19 

Funkstown, Md 21,22,119 

Goldsboro March. 14,15, 52-82 

Gunboat Hussar^ detail for 18 

Higginson, Captain T. W .' 9-13, 24 

Hoffman, Lieutenant-Colonel Southard, A. A. G 15, 17, 107 

Harkuess, Major E, A 13 

Hagerstown, Md 129 

Jones, Colonel J. R 16, 51, 116 

Letters from 

Bigelow, Lieutenant L. H 52, 53, 107 

Bemis, Lieutenant J. 83-86, 114, 115, 120, 121 

Barton, George E 76, 77, 90, 91 

Clapp, William H 73-75 

Dunlap, George E 40-42, 99-101, 110, 111, 122-130 

Fry, Charles B 33, 34, 60, 61 , 101, 102, 116, 117 

Fuller, Samuel H 67-69, 89, 90 

Haven, Charles W 36-38, 78-80, 91-94 

Hicks, Loren L 61,62,94-97,121,122 

Kendall, George M 34-36, 71-73 

Longley, Henry G 80-82 

Moore, Charles A 42-45, 69-71, 97-98, 104, 105 

Maynard, Charles L. . 45-51, 62-67, 88, 89, 103, 104, 107-109 
Pierce, Charles F., 39,40, 53-59, 86-88, 102, 103, HI, 112, 

115, 116 

Stratton, Eugene W 77,78 

Tourtelotte, George W 112, 113 

Lawrence, Captain J. K 23 



Vill CONTENTS. 

Lamb, Sergeant J. B 13 

Morehead City 13, 16, 17, 99-105 

Maryland Heights ... 21, 119, 127, 128 

McClellan, Corporal James E 127 

Number of Company re-enlisted 4 

North Carolina, voyage to 13, 33-47 

Newport Barracks 17, 103 

Newton, Major-General John C 22 

Ninth New Jersey Regiment 60, 77 

Organization of Company, date of 11 

Offering the services of Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment to 

War Department 20 

One hundred and sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Regiment 17 

Positions held by those re-enlisted 4 

Presentation to officers 11 

Presentation of colors 13 

Pollocksville March 16, 83-98 

Parkinson, Lieutenant E. T 15, 16 

Porter, Captain Byron 21 

Rice, Honorable W. W 11 

Robinson, Major-General John C 22 

Roster of Field and Staft'-officers 23 

Roster of Company C, Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment.. . 24-32 

Richardson, Rev. Merrill 10, 12 

Seventeenth Massachusetts Regiment 13 

Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery 115 

Seventh New York Regiment 20 

Sandy Hook, Md 21, 119, 127 

Swansboro, N. C 17,106,108 

Sprague, Colonel A. B. R. 

Report of Cedar Point Expedition . 106, 107 

Report after leaving North Carolina until mustered out 118-120 
Circular referring to time of expiration of term of ser- 
vice 19, 20 

Searching for arms at Baltimore 21, 118-120, 122, 126 

Studley, Lieutenant-Colonel John M 12 

Schenck, Major-General Robert C 20, 118 

Shurtleff, Colonel William S 20 

Twenty-third Massachusetts Regiment 35, 69 

Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment . . 35, 72 



CONTENTS. IX 

Thirty- fourth Massachusetts Regiment 128 

Thirty-ninth Massachusetts Regiment 21, 119, 130 

Third New York Cavalry 1 7, 34, 106 

Tenth Connecticut Regiment 34, 60, 77 

Ward, Colonel George H 11 

Washburn, Henry S. — Poem 131 

Wellington, Camp, order naming 18 

White House, Va.. 20, 118, 120, 124 

Williamsport, Md 22,119 

Whiton, Lieutenant-Colonel J. C 21 



HISTORY. 




STEW^R'^ 



HISTORY. 



(COMPANY C, Fifty-first Massachusetts Infantry, was organ- 
>' ized under the call of August 4, 1862, of President Lincoi^n 
for three hundred thousand enrolled militia to serve for the 
period of nine months. 

On August 16, 1862, the following advertisement appeared 
in the Worce^^fer Daily Spy : — 

A NEW REGIMENT FOR NINE MONTHS' SERVICE. 

To the Young Men of Worcester and Vicinity. 

•' Time is of the utmost importance iu the organization." Secretary Stanton. 
" The utmost despatch is required." Gov. Andrew. 

The undersigned has received enlistment papers for a company for nine 
months' service, to form part of a new Worcester County regiment. The 
quota of this city, under the new^ call, will be nearly four hundred, and there 
is not an hour to lose. 

There are hundreds of young men in this city who had plausible reasons for 
not giving three years to their country, but who have no reasonable excuse 
for not giving nine months. 

Nine months is not much to ofler, to save the very existence of the institu- 
tions which have reared you. 

What will you say to your children's children when they say to you, " A 
great contest was waged between Law and Disorder, Freedom and Slavery, 
and you icere not there ? " 

Criticism is idle without action. If we expect the government to make war 
in earnest, we must be iu earnest ourselves. 

It is not proposed that this company should wait for the leisure of unde- 
cided men. 

Have not sixteen months of war given time enough for deliberation? 

If you are going, go now. 

It is designed that this company should be filled, organized, and in camp, 
while the doubters are making up their minds. 

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON. 

Worcester, Aug. 16, 1862. 

A meeting of those interested in the new company will be held at Sons 
of Temperance Hall, Foster Street, this (Saturday) Evening at 8 o'clock. 
2 



10 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

State aid is extended to the families of nine mouths' volunteers, but not to 
drafted men. 

Ill response to this inspiring call there was a rally at Sons of 
Temperance Hall on Foster Street on the night mentioned, and 
the meeting was organized with the appointment of His Honor 
Mayor P. Emory Aldrich as chairman and Mr. John S. Baldwin 
as secretary. Mr. T. W. Higginson made a spirited and earnest 
speech and was follow^ed by Rev. Merrill Richardson. After 
the meeting, the settees were removed and those who had signed 
the enrollment paper were drilled by Mr. T. W. Higginson. 

August 19, twenty-two had joined and this call appeared in 
the papers : — 

THE NEW NINE-MONTHS' COMPANY. 

^@^The members of this Company are notified to meet, for drill, this 
evening at 8h o'clock, at the new Hall of the Sons of Temperance, on 
Foster Street. 

Also at 8 P. M. on every successive evening of this week. 

The company roll may be found, during each day, at Edward Mellen, Jr.'s 
Bookstore, 239 Main Street. Persons desiring to join the company are 
cordially invited to do so, at either place. 

T. W. HIGGINSON. 

August 20, still another invitation to enlist, in these words : — 

THE NEW NINE-MONTHS' COMPANY. 

The Headquarters and Recruiting Office of this company will be hence- 
forward at City Hall. 
^^^Drill every evening at 8 o'clock. 
All who desire to join the company are invited to attend. 

T. W. HIGGINSON. 

August 23 the company numbered forty and on the 25th forty- 
eight men. Forenoons and afternoons the company drilled in 
the City Hall, and on August 28 they had a street drill, this 
being their first appearance in public. 

August 30 the company had considerably more than its full 
number and the remainder formed the nucleus of company F, 
Fifty-first Mass. Infantry, which was being organized at the 
City Hall under authority issued to Mr. John S. Baldwin. Both 
companies drilled together and used the hall in common. 

Company C was the first company in this county, under the 
call of August 4, to be recruited to its full number, and was 



FIFTY-FIKST KEGIMICNT, MASS. VOLS. 11 

organized August 30 according to instructions from the Adju- 
tant-General. His Honor Mayor Aldrich presided and the 
following officers were chosen: Captain, T. W. Higginson ; 
First Lieutenant, John B. Goodell ; Second Lieutenant, Luther 
H. Bigelow. After the officers had signified their acceptance of 
the honors conferred upon each and enthusiastic speeches were 
made, the company had a street parade in honor of the event. 
September 5 the officers received their commissions. The com- 
pany was drilling every day, either in the hall or on the street, 
up to September 15, when this order appeared: — 

A 

COMPANY iMEETING. 

The members of the military company under command of the undersigned, 
are notified to meet at their headquarters, City Hall, at 9 A. M. this day, for 
the purpose of going into Barracks. 

T. W. HIGGINSON. 

Companies C, E, F and G marched down in the forenoon to the 
old machine shop on the Norwich railroad, so called up to this 
time, but now known as Camp John E. Wool. The next day 
the entire company was on guard, this being our hrst duty for 
the United States — Colonel George H. Ward, of the Fifteenth 
Mass. Infantry, as Commandant. On September 23 a pleasing 
incident occurred at the camp in the presentation of a sword, 
sash and belt to Captain T. W. Higginson and Lieutenants John 
B. Goodell and Luther H. Bigelow. The presentation speech 
was made by Hon. W. W. Rice in behalf of Mr. Calvin Foster 
and other friends of the officers. Captain Higginson acknowl- 
edged the gifts in earnest and fitting words, and hearty cheers 
were given by the company to the donors, to the other compa- 
nies, and then to all friends of the regiment in order that no 
one should be disappointed or neglected. 

September 25 the company was mustered into the service of 
the United States by Lieutenant M. Elder of the Eleventh U. 
S. Infentry. 

As Uie company had had a good example set before them 
they tried to show their appreciation of their commissioned 
officers on Octol)er 1, b}^ presenting each with a handsome 
haversack, canteen, blanket strap and shoulder straps, and a 



12 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

sword and sash to George E. Dunlap, the First Sergeant of the 
company. The presentation was made by Sergeant James S. 
llo<j;ers. 

The daily duties at the camp were as follows : — 

Roll Call 5 A. M. 

Company Drill 6 to 7, 

Breakfast 7.15. 

Guard Mounting . . . • 8.30. 

Company Drill 10 to 11.30. 

Dinner 12 M. 

Company Drill 2 to 3.30 P. M. 

Company Drill 5 to (i. * 

Supper 7. 

Tattoo 9. 

If we wore in camp drilling to better fit us for our duties 
South, Ave were not forgotten by our friends, for a number of 
times we were invited as a company to entertainments and 
dinners, among which two should have special mention. Octo- 
ber 4, in the afternoon the company, by invitation of the 
friends of comrade George D. Rice, went to Auburn, where we 
were agreeably surprised when we arrived to find a long table 
spread in a large open lot loaded with the good things that the 
army boys would appreciate after a long march. After speak- 
ing by the Auburn friends and the Captain we fell in for rations 
and did Company C credit as for willingness to obey orders. 
November 19 the hidy friends invited the company to a dinner 
in the City Hall. After prayer by Rev. Merrill Richardson 
the Captain ordered the company to help themselves to the 
splendid dinner before them. Judge Henry Chapin, Rev. 
Messrs. Richardson and Dadmun made enthusiastic speeches ; 
during the time the glee club, composed of four members of the 
company, enlivened the occasion by the singing of war songs. 
This occasion was the opposite of our experience exactly four 
weeks later on the Goldsboro march. 

On October 1(5 Lieutenant-Colonel A. B. R. Spragua, of the 
Twenty-fifth INIass. Infantry, was elected colonel and accepted 
on the sixth day of November, and assumed command on 
November 12. Captain John M. Studley, of the Fifteenth 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 13 

Mass. Infantry, was elected Lieutenant-Colonel. Adjutant E. A. 
Harkness, of the Twenty-lifthMass. Infantry, was elected Major. 

October 17 the regiment had its first dress parade. 

November 19 Captain Higginson took leave of his company, 
having been promoted to the colonelcy of the First South 
Carolina Volunteers at Port Koyal, South Carolina. 

November 24, in the afternoon, the colors were presented 
to the regiment in a beautiful and novel manner. They were 
given just before the regimental inspection, the different com- 
panies being drawn up together in front of the stand. The 
stand itself was covered with a large United States flag, and at 
the appointed hour five little girls came forward, accompanied 
by a young lad, bearing the splendid banner which the ladies of 
Worcester had prepared. These young girls and boy all had 
friends in the regiment, one being daughter of the Colonel and 
another daughter of the Lieutenant-Colonel. The Color-Ser- 
geant, J. B. Lamb, of Company D, advanced to take the colors 
and as he received them into his hands. Colonel Sprague 
addressed tlie regiment in fitting words and then called for 
cheers for the flag and for the ladies who had presented it. The 
flag was a handsome one and upon it were these words : "51st 
Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers." Upon a silver plate on 
the flag stafl" was the inscription : "Presented to the 51st Regi- 
ment, Massachusetts Volunteers, by the ladies of Worcester 
County." It is now in the State House with the other Massa- 
chusetts flao's. 

On the next morning the regiment started for Boston and 
took the Steamer Merrimac for Morehead City, North Carolina. 
Landed at Morehead City on the afternoon of November 30, 
and took the cars for New Berne, arriving there in the evening. 
The regiment marched down to Foster Barracks, where they 
found the Forty-fifth Mass. had hot coffee and hard tack await- 
ing us. 

December 4 arms and equipments were issued, the two flank 
companies having Harper's Ferry rifles and sabre bayonets. 

On the 9th the regiment was attached to the brigade com- 
manded by Colonel T. J. C. Amory, of the Seventeenth Mass. 
Infantry . 



14 HISTORY OF COMPATH' 0, 

December 10 the following order wus sent to the commanders 
of regiments and batteries, and at this day may be of especial 

interest : — 

Headquaktkks, Dkpartmrnt of North Carolina. 

New Berne, December 10, 18G2. 
General Orders, ) 
No. 77. 5 

The column will move to-morrow morning at 7 o'clock and in 
the following order of march : — 

An advance gnard of cavalry, Ninth New Jer.sey, Colonel Heckman com- 
manding. General Wessel's Brigade and one New York Battery. Captain 
Aminon's Battery. Captain Schenk's Battery. Colonel Amory's Brigade and 
one New York Battery. Colonel Stevenson's Brigade and Belger's Battery. 
One regiment of this latter brigade will march in rear of the wagon train. 
The rear gnard of cavalry will follow the wagons, and the balance of the 
cavalry rear guard will act as guard of the train being distributed along the 
line of the train. 

Mr. H. W. Wilson with his company of Bridge Builders will march at the 
head of the train. 

The hospital wagons and ambulances will follow in rear of their respective 
brigades, and be under the orders of the Senior Surgeon of the Brigade. 

The Hospital Snpply Train, under chai-ge of Medical Purveyor, will remain 
in front of and in company with the baggage train. The Sanitary Commis- 
sion Train will follow immediately in the rear of the Hospital Supply Train. 
The ammunition wagons of the batteries will march at the head of the wagon 
train. No leaving ranks will be allowed and to prevent this and to preserve 
order, Major Jones Frankle is appointed Provost Marshal of the march. He 
will have a cavalry guard and ten men with an officer or an energetic non- 
commissioned officer will be detailed from each regiment to march in rear of 
their respective regiments and to be under orders of Major Frankle. 

On crossing streams requiring fording, each brigade will be halted by the 
brigade commander, and the men ordered to take off shoes and stockings. 
The brigade will be halted when its left shall have crossed and the men 
ordered to put on their shoes and stockings. In coming into action each 
brigade will take its position in succession whenever directed by the command- 
ing general, and as a general thing the order of formation will be in two lines. 
The regiments in the first line will be deployed (if the nature of the ground 
allows), and if within range will keep up a steady continuous fire of musketry. 
The regiments of the second line will be within one hundred or two hundred 
yards of the first, generally lying down, so as to be as much out of shot as 
possible, and generally in column of divisions at half distance. They will 
thus be ready to move in any direction with facility and to reinforce any 
portion of the first line that may be hard pressed by the enemy, or to pass in 
front of the first line, deploy, and open fire. When any regiment of the first 
line have exhausted their ammunition it will be formed, as soon as practica- 
ble, in column of division at half distance and in doing this they must not 
fall back, but lie down in that position, ready to resist with the bayonet any 
charge of the enemy. As soon as the above formation is made four men from 



FIFTY-FIEST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 15 

each company will be sent to the wagons to procure two boxes of ammunition 
for each company. The party to be in charge of a commissioned officer who 
will be responsible for the conduct of the party. The light batteries march- 
ing with brigades will remain with their respective brigades and fight with it 
under orders of the commanding officers of the brigade. The rest of the 
artillery will be under the general direction of Colonel Ledlie, commanding 
artillery brigade, and under the immediate orders of Major Kennedy. 

It must be understood that any regiment near a battery must consider itself 
a support of that battery, and if that battery be charged by the enemy's 
infantry, the commanding officer of the regiment must advance at least on a 
line with the front of the battery; in this case the first withhold their fire till 
the enemy be close enough to deliver a heavy volley and charge with the 
bayonet. The battery in such cases will fire rapidly with grape and canister. 
Officers must enjoin on their men to fire slowly and coolly, taking good aim 
and special pains not to fire too high. 

The General feels sure that Wessel's Brigade, of Peck's Division, under 
their veteran commander will obtain and add to their high reputation. The 
First Division, Ninth Army Corps, will do as it always has before. The new 
regiments, the General hopes and expects, will vie with the older ones in the 
full and bold performance of their part, whatever may come. 

By command of 

Major-General foster, 

S. HOFFMAN, A. A. G. 

Official, 

E. T. PARKINSON, A. A. A. G. 

December 11 the regiment started on the Goldsl)oro march, 
returning to Foster Barracks on December 21. The expedition 
consisted of twenty-two regiments of infantry, cavalry and 
artillery, one hundi-ed and thirty army wagons, exclusive of 
ambulances and hospital wagons. 

According to General Orders No. 6, issued by the Colonel, 

the daily duties in the camp were as follows ; — 

Reveille (...".O A. M. 

Surgeon's Call 7. 

Breakfast 7.30. 

Troop 8.30. 

Guard Mounting 9. 

Company Drill 9.30. 

Recall 11.30. 

Dinner 12 M. 

Orderly Call 12.45 P.M. 

Assembly for Battalion Drill L.40. 

Adjutant's Call 1.50. 

Retreat . . 4.30. 

Supper 5.30. 

Tattoo 7.30. 

Taps ■ 9. 



16 HISTORY OF COMPANY O, 

December 24 jin election wns held in the Imrracks, making 
Lieutenant Goodell Captain, Lieutenant Bigelow First Lieuten- 
ant, and Sergeant J. O. Bemis Second Lieutenant. 

January 15, by order of Major-Gencral Foster, the names of 
the battles of Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsboro were inscril^ed 
on our flags. 

January 17, at his own request. Orderly Sergeant Dunlap 
was made Serajeant and Sero-eant H. C. Wadsworth was made 
Orderly. 

January 17 started on the Pollocksville march, returning on 
the 21st. 

The following was received by our Colonel : — 



Headquarters First Brigade, First Division. 
Eighteenth Army Corps. 

New Berne, February 20, 18C3. 

Special Orders, 
No. 37. 

Colonel Sprague, commanding Fifty-first Mass. Vol. M., will 
to-morrow morning marcli the six companies of his regiment, now in barracks, 
to "Deep Gully," where he will encamp for five daj's at the expiration of 
which time he will return to camp. Five days' rations will be taken. Ti-ans- 
portation to be furnished by Brigade Quartermaster. He will be subject to 
command of Colonel J. R. Jones, Fifty-eighth Pa. Vols., commanding out- 
posts. 

The Assistant-Surgeon will accompany the expedition, the Surgeon remain- 
ing behind with sufficient men to guard the barracks. 

By order of Colonel AMORY, 

Commanding Brigade. 

E. T. PARKINSON, Lieut, and A. A. A. G. 

On the twenty-lirst the regiment was sent to Deep Gully, 
about ten miles up on the Kinston road, for special outpost 
duty. This camp was designated Camp Studley. The regi- 
ment returned to Foster Barracks where it remained until March 
3, when the companies were ordered to difterent stations for 
guard duty. Companies A and C going to Morehead City. 

The following order was received from Headquarters, and 



FIFTY-riEST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 17 

the report of the Colonel of the expedition is under the head of 
Expedition to Cedar Point and Swansboro : — 

Headquarters, Eighteenth Army Corps. 
New Berne, N. C, March 5, 18G3. 

Colonel A. B. R. SPRAGUE, 

Commanding Fifty-first Begiment, Mass. V. M. 
Colonel : 

By direction of Major-General Foster I have the honor to give you the 
following instructions, viz. : — 

You will march on the morning of Saturday, the 7th inst., with the availa- 
ble force from your regiment and one company of cavalry to the White Oak 
River opposite Swansboro; this point you will hold. 

The object of this expedition is to thoroughly reconnoitre both sides of 
the White Oak River to find out, as far as possible, the strength, position and 
movements of the enemy in that dii'ection. You will occupy the point indi- 
cated for three days unless this time is necessarily modified by circumstances 
which cannot be anticipated. 

A cavalry reconnoissance of the Third N. Y. C. will probably meet you 
during your stay on White Oak River. 

An officer of the General's Staff will join you for the purpose of aiding you 
in ascertaining the above named information, and more particularly in 
examining, finding all ways of crossing the river by bridges, fords, ferries, 
depth and width of river, relative height of banks, &c. 

The Steamer Wilson will be at the mouth of the White Oak Rivei". A sec- 
tion of Lee's battery will report to you for orders. 

I am. Colonel, 

Very Respectfully Your Obedient Servant, 

SOUTHARD HOFFMAN, A. A. G. 

March 6 Company C went to Newport Barracks, and there 
with Companies B, D, H and I went to Cedar Point opposite 
Swansboro. The expedition returned to Newport on the tenth, 
and the company to Morehead City on the eleventh. 

March 16 there was a rumor at New Berne that Morehead 
City would be raided by a force of rebel cavalry, and so the 
One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry was sent 
down to assist Companies A and C to protect the place. It 
became evident in a short time that Companies A and C had to 
protect themselves, so guards were placed around our quarters 
and property, and before morning the account of our camp 
equipage was correct, if it did not overrun that of the Quarter- 
master's. The Pennsylvania regiment returned the next day. 



18 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

The follow 
roster shows : 



The following order was received and the detail made as the 



Hkadquarters, Fifty-First Mass. Regiment. 
Beaufort, N. C, March 25, 18(;3. 

Special Orders, 
No. 14. 

In accordance with Special Orders from Department Head- 
quarters the following detail is made for the purpose of manning the Gun- 
boat " Hussar": — 

First Lieutenant John W. Sanderson, Company A. 
One non-commissioned oflScer, Company A. 
Ten privates. Company A. 
One non-commissioned officer, Company C. 
Ten privates. Company C. 
Captain E. A. Wood is charged with the promulgation of the above orders. 

By order of 

Colonel A. B. R. SPRAGUE. 

April 10 the company went to Fort Macon, opposite Beau- 
fort, N. C, where we drilled in heavy artillery being, as it 
happened, a drill which twenty-one members put into practice 
later on in the war in difterent regiments. 

In accordance with orders from Department Headquarters the 
regiment returned to New Berne on May 4, and quartered at 
"Foster Barracks until May 22, when it was ordered to move 
camp as the Barracks were in the range of the guns of Fort 
Gaston. A camp was selected near the railroad and about a 
mile from New Berne, and was designated Camp Wellington. 
At the first dress parade the following order was read : — 

Headquarters, Fifty-First Mass. Regiment. 
Camp Wellington, New Berne, N. C, May 24, 1863. 

General Orders, \ 
No. 38. / 

In honor of a citizen of the " Heart of the Commonwealth," 
an uncompromising enemy of traitors, who has given of his substance with- 
out stint or measure for the relief of the suffering, for the cause of our God 
and our Country, and kept naught back, but laid upon its altar his dearest 
earthly hopes, — in the common walks of life a gentleman, a Patriot, and a 
friend of Humanity — this temporary home of the Fifty-first Massachusetts is 
designated " Camp Wellington." 

By order of 

Colonel A. B. R. SPRAGUE. 
J. STEWART BROWN, Adjutant. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 19 

The following important circular from the office of the Com- 
missary of Musters of the Eighteenth Army Corps, and a com- 
munication relative thereto from Colonel Sprague, was read for 
the information of this regiment : — 

Office of the Commissary of Musters, 
Eighteenth Army Corps, 
New Berne, N. C, June 9, 18G3. 

CIRCULAR. 

Some; misapprehension having arisen concerning the time of expiration of 
the terra of service of the nine months' volunteers, the following circular is 
published for the information of all concerned : 

The rule adopted by the Government and communicated to mustering offi- 
cers at the commencement of the present war, was that a regiment forming 
for service must be complete in its organization and all the companies 
assembled at the place of general rendezvous, or on the way there before the 
muster could take place. Under this rule, during the formation of a regi- 
ment requiring generally many weeks for its completion the troops were in 
service of the State, dependent upon it for their pay, subsistence and equip- 
ment. To be relieved of this burden on the State, and for the speediest 
enlistment and equipment of the forces, the Governor obtained authority for 
the mustering officers to muster the companies separately as soon as their 
organization was complete and their ranks full to the minimum, the Govern- 
ment I'eserving to itself the right to reckon the term of service as commenc- 
ing at the time the regiment was complete and serviceable as a regiment — 
that is, from the time of muster-in of the tenth company. 

From this time they were liable to be ordered into the field for service. 
Until this time they were merely in process of formation, and not liable to 
such orders. This is the view taken by the Government of the term of 
service of the nine months' troops, and its fairness and liberality can hardly 
be questioned by any save those whose patriotism is of so weak a nature as 
to begrudge to their country a short period additional to their specified nine 
months. 

In order, however, that no possible ground of complaint may exist in 
regard to this matter the General commanding authorizes me to state that 
any company in this department will, on application of its captain, approved 
by the colonel commanding the regiment, be furnished with transportation 
and allowed to proceed home in time to reach it in nine months from the 
time of its muster into service. 

THOMAS J. C. AMORY, 
• Colonel Seventeenth Mass., 
Commissary of Muster, Eighteenth Army Corps. 

Headquarters, Fifty-First Mass. Regiment. 
Camp Wellington, New Berne, N. C, June 10, 1863. 
I have cau.sed to be read to the whole command a circular which was 
drawn out by dissatisfaction with the direction of the War Department in 



20 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

regard to the time of mustering out of the nine months' troops. Without 
entering upon an argument in regard to the justice or equity of this decision 
of the War Department, I rely upon the good judgment, the patriotism and 
intelligence of the officers and soldiers of this regiment, who entered the 
service and have stood together unflinchingly in the lines of duty, to take no 
action which will compromise them in the eyes of the Country and their 
friends. Rather let us be over-zealous iu the Service than be relieved one 
moment too soon by our own action. Transportation has been ordered for 
this regiment to Boston about July 1. 

A. B. R. SPRAGUE, 

Colonel Fifty-first Begiment, Mass. V. M. 

No application was made by any captain of the Fifty-first 
Regiment for his command to be released from service before 
the muster-out of the entire regiment. . 

On June 24 orders were received to report at Fortress Mon- 
roe, arriving there on the 27th, when the regiment was ordered 
to report to General John A. Dix at White House, Virginia, 
where it arrived at midnight of the 27th and reported on the 
28th. It was understood that General Dix would make a 
desperate attempt to seize the rel)el capital while Lee and the 
Army of Northern Virginia were north of the Potomac. If 
such a plan was contemplated it was abandoned. Of the troops 
sent up from North Carolina, the Eighth, Forty-sixth, Forty- 
third and Fifty-first Mass. regiments were ordered back to 
Fortress Monroe for transportation to Massachusetts. While 
awaiting for transportation at Fortress Monroe the boat from 
Baltimore brought news of the advance of Lee into Pennsylvania. 

General Naglee informed our Colonel of the pressing need of 
troops to drive the rebel army across the Potomac. In com- 
pany with General Naglee and Colonel ShurtleflT of the Forty- 
sixth Mass. Infantry telegraphed the Secretary of War that we 
would await his orders. The oifer was accepted with orders to 
report to General Robert C. Schenck at Baltimore, Md. Arrived 
at Baltimore on Julv 1, and were ordered to Belger Barracks. 
In the orders which the General commandino: issued was the 
following : — 

"Until further orders, the citizens of Baltimore city and county are prohib- 
ited from keeping arms in their houses unless enrolled in volunteer companies 
for the defense of their homes." 



riFTY-FIKST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 21 

July 2, in connection with the police, the regiment searched 
for arms in houses of suspected parties. On the 3d, guarded 
the negroes at work on the fortifications. On the 5th, by 
orders from the Provost Marshal, the regiment was ordered to 
guard from Bolton station to Fort McHenry twenty-three hun- 
dred rebel prisoners, taken at the battle of Gettysburg. 

July 6 the regiment had orders to report to General H. S. 
Briggs at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad depot, Mount Clare 
station, early in the morning. The brigade consisted of the 
following Mass. regiments : the Eighth, Forty-sixth, Fifty-first, 
Battalion of Forty-third under Lieutenant-Colonel John C. 
Whiton, and Seventh New York : when the brigade arrived 
at Monocacy Junction the Seventh New York was left there and 
the rest of the l)rigade went on to Sandy Hook, Md., arriving 
there on the 7th, in the evening, where we remained until the 
following order was received : — 

Headquarters, Briggs' Brigade. 
Sandy Hook, Md., July 7, 1863, 8 o'clock P. M. 

Colonel SPRAGUE, 

Commanding Fifty-first M. V. M. ^ • 

Colonel : • 

You will take your own command, the Forty-sixth and Eighth Mass. 
Regiments and Battery B, First Penn. Artillery, to Fort Duncan at once. 
Lieutenant Young, Sixth N. Y. Artillery, bearing this, will guide the column. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General H. S. BRIGGS. 
BYRON PORTER, 

Captaiii and A. A. General. 

In the night the regiment marched up Maryland Heights 
occupying Fort Duncan at 4 o'clock in the morning. July 12 
the regiment had orders to join the Army of the Potomac. The 
brigade consisted of the Eighth, Thirty-ninth, Forty-sixth and 
Fifty-first Mass. Regiments. 

At Boonsboro, where after a short halt, marched on to Funks- 
town, after twenty-two hours continuous marching were attach- 
ed to the Second Division First Army Corps, and took position 
in the second line of battle on the extreme riaht. 



22 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

The following were our officers : — 

Major-General John Newton, command iug the Corps. 
Major-General John C. Robinson, " the Division. 
Brigadier-Geueral Henuy S. Bukjgs, " tlie Brigade. 

Ill making this long march we passed in the evening the 
school-house where John Brown had his firearms and i)ikes 
secreted before his raid at Harper's Ferry , 

At Funkstown the rebel pickets were very near ours, and they 
had out a strong force of skirmishers. Our corps being on 
risins; ""round, all the movements of the skirmishers could be 
seen, besides hearing the constant discharge of musketry l)y the 
opposing forces. 

Forty additional rounds of cartridges were issued, making one 
hundred for each soldier. Our Colonel Avas informed that the 
attack would be made at daybreak on the morning of the 14th. 

During this night the enemy disappeared from our front, and 
Lee had recrossed the Potomac at Williamsport. 

If the battle had occurred the Fifty-first might have been in 
one of the large battles of the war, and no doubt a number of 
the«comrades^would not again have seen New England, as the 
rebel position in our front was very strong, and when marching 
in line to Williamsport, on the 14th, places where masked 
batteries had been stationed could be seen. 

The next day, July 15, the first corps, of which we were a 
part, moved rapidly to Berlin, on the Potomac just below Sandy 
Hook, and arrived there at noon of the 16th, and subsequently 
crossed the Potomac into Virginia at this point. 

On the 17th the regiment took the cars for Baltimore, arriv- 
ing there on the morning of the 18th, and went Ijack to Belger 
Barracks. 

The regiment when "at the front" numbered not over two 
hundred and fifty men, and all those who were there were 
ordered by our Colonel to wear the badge of the corps on our 
caps, which was considered quite an honor when marching in 
Baltimore and Worcester. 

Left Baltimore for home on the 19th; had a splendid recep- 
tion and lunch at Philadelphia ; arriving in New York on the 





CAPT. T. A'. HIGGINSON 



CAPT. J. B. GOODELL. 








Lieut, l. h. Bigelow. 



Lieut. J. O. bemis. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 23 

20th, during the draft riots. By order of General Canity, 
commanding at New York, the regiment was stationed on the 
Battery and orders given not to leave the grounds, as it might 
be called upon to suppress any disturbance that might arise. 
Started in the evening for Worcester, by the way of Norwich, 
arriving on the Common at half past ten in the forenoon of the 
21st. After being received by the City Government, parading 
through the streets and a banquet in Mechanics Hall, a furlough 
was granted until July 27, .when the company was mustered out 
on the Agricultural Grounds on Agricultural Street, by Captain 
J. K. Lawrence of the Eleventh United States Infantry. 

ROSTER OF THE FIFTY-FIRST MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY. 

Field and Staff Officers. 

AUGUSTUS B. R. SPRAGUE, Colonel. 

JOHN M. STUDLEY, Lieutenant- Colonel. 

ELIJAH A. HARKNESS, Major. 

GEORGE JEWETT, Surgeon. 

J. HOMER DARLING. Assistant-Surgeon. 

PAUL C. GARVIN, Assistant- Surgeon. 

GILBERT CUMMINGS, Jr., Chaplain. 

J. STEWART BROWN, Adjutant. 

BENJAMIN D. DWINNELL, Quartermaster. 

GEORGE E. BARTON, Sergeant-Major. 

EDWARD P. COTTING, Hospital Steward. 

EDWARD S. WASHBURN, Quartermaster- Sergeant. 

HENRY W. STAYNER, Commissary-Sergeant. 



24 



HISTORY OF COMPANY G, 



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Sergeant Sept. 25, ^62. 

Sergeant Sept. 25, '62; at Morehead City, N. C, 
was detailed Mar. 25, '63, for duty on gunboat 
Hussar, in the harbor at Beaufort, N. C. 

Corporal Sept. 25. '62 ; Sergeant June 3, '63. 

Corporal Sept. 25, '62; Sergeant Nov. 4, '62; re- 
enlisted in Co. F, 1st South Carolina Volunteers, 
Dec. 6, '62; Captain Dec. 6, '62; resigned Oct. 
20, '63, special order 470, War Dept. When in 
1st So. Car. Vols., was in the expedition up the 
St. Mary's River, Ga., Jan., '63; at the taking of 
Jacksonville, Ela., Mar., '63; in the So. Edisto 
Kiver expedition, July 9, '63. 

Sergeant Sept. 25, '62^; 2d Lieut. Co. G, 2d Miiss. 
11. A., June 4, '63; Junior 1st Lieut. Aug. 14, '63; 
on duty at Norfolk, Va., and Plymouth, N. C; 
resigned, from sickness, at New Berne, N. C, 


Sept. 1 , '64. 

Corpor.al Sept. 25, '62; for the term of service was 
detailed in Regimental Q. M. Dept. ; in '61 was 
special messenger for the War Dept. in carrying 
despatches in Maryland and Virginia; from Aug. 
1, "63, until close of war, was connected with the 
ottice of Provost Marsh.al at Worcester, Mass. 

Corporal Sept. 25, "62; commissioned 1st Lieut. Co. 
A, 36th U. S. Col'd Infantry, in '63; mustered out 
in "65 ; on duty at Point Lookout, Md , and in the 
siege of Petersburg, Va. 

Corporal Sept. 25, '62; re-enlisted in Co. F, 4th 
Mass. n. A., Aug. 17, '64; 2d Lieut. Aug. 17, '64; 


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July 27, '(53. 

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May 29, '63. 
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July 27, '(53. 

July 27, '63. 
July 27, '63. 




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Charles A. Goddard, Corp. . 

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(iOING OUT, AND CAMP LIFE AT FOSTER P.ARRACKS. 

Camp A. B. R. Sprague, 
New Berne, N. C, December 1, 1862. 

As was expected, we left Camp "Wool ou Tuesday at 8^ A. M. and 
marched up Maiu Street and back, and down Front Street to the 
Western Depot, where we took the cars for Boston. We marched 
through innumerable streets till we came to the wharf, where we 
immediately embarked on board the U. S. Transport Merrimac. 

We were to sail in company with the Mississippi which had ou 
board the Mass. Eighth. Half an hour before we cast loose her 
skipper gave us the slip and put out to sea, thinking to get here 
before us. We sailed down past Cape Cod, Vineyard Sound, and 
took our last view of the land as we passed Gay Head. Nothing of 
importance marked the voyage except the intolerable stench which 
pervaded the stern-hold where we were stowed, three in a bunk, and 
of which you can judge when you consider that we were there most of 
the time seasick, and not washing ourselves for six days nor removing 
a single garment. I could imagine how I could enjoy the grandeur 
and beauty of a sea voyage with such fare as we daily saw by look- 
ing down the cook's galley, to say nought of a cabin berth and 
liberty ou the quarter deck. But we were not allowed abaft the beam 
at any time during the trip, neither would the officers allow us to get up 
ou any of the houses, but the second mate, who, as you know, has the 
principal part in the management ou deck, was very kind and civil in 
the enforcement of these rules. " Come, gentlemen," he would say, 
" I would not get up so high if I were you ; you may fall and make a 
hole in the water." Just before we ran into Beaufort, he said, 
"Now if you please, gentlemen, come down off those houses; you 
have behaved first rate so far this trip and now do not spoil it all." 
We saw no more of the Mississip2)i till off the coast of North Carolina 
when we discovered her*on her beam, consequently we were in 






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Department No. Carolina. 



34 HISTORY OF COMT'ANY C, 

advance, but before night she was on our weather beam standing in 
near the coast, and kept this position the remainder of the trip. In 
tlie course of the day she hoisted a signal whicli we answered, but it 
was all Greek to me. When we arrived at the bar off Beaufort it was 
very rough, and the channel so narrow and shallow that we were 
obliged to lay off at anchor thirty-six hours to wait for the sea to 
subside. About one o'clock Sunday afternoon we called the anchor 
and prepared to cross the bar, and if you could see how we dragged 
the sea after us you would think it was shallow, indeed. 

Arrived in the harbor we ran alongside the Mississipjji, which lay 
at the wharf. As soon as we could we packed on the cars and started 
for New Berne, thirty-six miles distant. The journey presented 
nothing to our view but one continuous piece of swamp, enlivened 
now and then by a signal station or a s(iuad of negroes chopping 
wood for the engine. We arrived at New Berne about 7 P. M. It is 
a pleasant city, I should think, but I have only seen it by moonlight. 
There are thirteen Massachusetts regiments here, besides the Third 
New York Cavalry, the Tenth Connecticut and a Rhode Island 
battery. We are in barracks about two miles from the city on the 
river Trent. Our camp is on a plantation of General Branch. It is 
ten thousand acres in area, and his splendid brick mansion is torn 
down to make chimneys for the cook rooms. We were entertained 
by the Forty-fifth last night, on our arrival, with hard bread and hot 
coffee ; each company of that regiment entertaining its corresponding 
company in the Fifty-first. 

C. B. Fry. 

Camp Fifty-First Regiment, Mass. Vols., 
December o, 1862. 

I will give you a little history of our trip. We received orders to 
have our knapsacks on our backs at 8| A. M. Tuesday, which we 
did. It took about two hours for us to get all ready to march, which 
made it about ten o'clock when we left the old camp, which had 
become almost a home to us. We marched and counter-marched 
through Main Street. All Worcester was out to see us. There was 
never a regiment that left Worcester which caused so much sorrow as 
the Fifty-first. 

Took the cars at the Western Depot for Boston. Reached Boston 
al)out three and marched to the wharf and embarked before night. 
Left the harbor that night. It was beautiflil sailing until Wednesday 



FIFTY-FIRST REOIIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 35 

niglit, when it commenced to blow very hard and was a very rough 
night. Most of the boys became sick that day and night ; I was a 
little so, although not very much. I came up on deck and stood 
guard two hours the next morning — from that time was not sick at 
all. It was a grand sight to see the ocean in all its fury ; sometimes 
the deck would be almost perpendicular. It reminded me of stories 
I have read about the storms at sea. The majority of the boys 
recovered from their sea-sickness after a day or two, though many were 
unwell the whole voyage. The remainder of the voyage was compara- 
tively pleasant. We were all hungry as we could be as soon as we got 
over our sea sickness. All we could have was meat once a day and 
have bread about four P. M. The quartermaster was so sick that he 
could not get at his provisions. The last night we were on the ship 
some of the boys got down in among the boxes and helped themselves 
to things generally. I believe they had quite a feast. The worst of 
it was some of the things taken belonged to one of the regiments out 
here. Of course the boys did not know that such was the case, or 
they would never have touched those. 

We arrived in sight of Beaufort Saturday morning, but wind and 
tide prevented our going in until Sunday, about two o'clock. For 
some reason the MississijijJi went in ahead of us. We disembarked 
about four P. M., were taken on to some platform cars, such as they 
carry wood on at the north. The Eighth and Fifty-first Regiments 
both came up on the same train. I never rode at any such rate 
north as we came up here, at least twenty miles an hour, and faster I 
think. The road was perfectly straight, with nothing of interest to 
anyone, except negroes and soldiers. Our pickets stretch along the 
railroad for miles ; they all seemed glad to see us. A few miles 
from New Berne we passed the battle ground of New Berne, the 
earthworks still remaining. Some of the boys have visited it already. 

We rode into the city on the cars, where we left the Eighth Regi- 
ment. While waiting for them to unload, mnny of the Twenty-fifth 
boys came to see us, among them was Charlie. He had just returned 
from a four weeks' expedition under General Foster. I know a num- 
ber of the boys in the Twenty-fifth Regiment, but they are out on picket 
duty at present. The Twenty-fifth boys have been waiting for our 
regiment. They didn't care how many others came if ours only did, 
as it is next to going home for them. Charlie is first rate, he came 
over and stopped with us the other night. 

Our regiment is encamped about two miles from the city, near the 
Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty-third and Twenty-third Regiments, so 



36 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

we are not louesome. Our boys are in barracks, which are not quite 
finished, so that things are not as convenient as wo could wish. The 
officers are to have tents. Since being here we have had nothing 
but coffee and hard crackers, as our quartermaster's stores had not 
arrived from the ship. Some of them came up last night and we had 
beans this noon. As our kitchen is not finished the boys went to 
work and got bricks and have got an oven built temporarily. For 
supper we had soft bread served to us, which the boys took lipid of 
in good earnest. We are encamped on a plantation owned by Henry 
Bryant, a captain in the rebel army. It consists of ten thousand 
acres and is very level. You can scarcely find a stone all day. 
Every day numbers of negroes come into camp with cakes, pies, sweet 
potatoes, &c., which they soon dispose of, as the boys must have 
something to eat. Here we have the genuine negroes. All their 
cakes, pies, &c., they sell for five cents apiece, or three for five. Have 
not seen them sell for any less ; most of them refuse to take postage 
stamps. I was on guard yesterday. It seems singular to do duty 
with army guns. Ours have not got along yet. We wash and get 
our water from the river ; each of the boys is obliged to take care of 
his own dish, plate, &c., which is not much of a task as there is such 
splendid fine sand all around here. The whole soil is the same. 
Everything is tremendously high that you get from the sutler, — small 
jars of pickles sixty cents, cheese twenty-five, and other things in 
proportion. I shall not trouble him much as soon as we get our regu- 
lar rations. 

G. M. Kendall. 

Camp near New Berne, 
December 1, 1862. 
Dear Father and Mother : 

We have at last arrived at the town of New 
Berne. We have had with all our different rides a pretty hard time, 
yet everything is so new and exciting that we are not so tired as we 
should have been had we been in our old home. There is so much 
new that I hardly know where to begin. I suppose, however, you 
will want a brief account of our voyage. Our ride to Boston was, of 
course, an old matter ; we arrived there the first of the afternoon and 
commenced our circuitous march through the streets, which seemed 
almost without number, but at last we airived at the wharf, which was 
quite near the ferry of the Charlestown boats. We were kept stand- 
ing there about fifteen minutes, when we were lucky enough to be the 



FIFTY-FIllST KEGIMENT, :MASy, VOLS. 37 

first company on board and were quartered in the lower aft down 
in the bottom of the boat and so dark you could not see whether you 
passed a man or a post, and smelt more like a hog-pen than anything 
else. The whole of the afternoon was occupied in loading men, 
horses and goods. At a little past seven o'clock we started, and all 
that night and the next forenoon it was smooth as Long Pond ever 
was. About noon it began to grow rough and at four o'clock we 
were pitching too and fro in the most agreeable manner imaginable. 
Until then I had not felt sick, but I had to go down into my hole, 
bad as it was, and lie down. About dark I went up on deck, leaned 
over the railing and heaved up, then I felt some better, though only 
for a short time ; again I went to my bunk and tried to go to sleep, 
but that was impossible. The boat rocked sideways and it was all 
we could do to keep in our bunks. All that night I lay awake 
holding on most of the time and the rest vomiting, or rather 
trying to vomit. We rocked about till Saturday, when we com- 
menced running very slow and at last stopped, and were obliged 
to cast anchor till Sunday afternoon on account of the sand bars 
between us and the shore, there not being enough water for us to pass 
over. You can imagine we did not like it much, for I do not believe 
there was a man on board who was not tired, if not sick of it, within 
forty-eight hours after we started. 

One thing was very interesting, and that was to watch the sea 
doves follow us and pick up the pieces of bread we would throw to 
them. Sunday afternoon when we passed the low swamps around 
Fort Macon there were hundreds of them following us. Our fare on 
the boat was what I call very poor, the coffee was so miserable that t 
would nor touch it, the water it was made of, and also that we had to 
drink, was made from the salt water and you may be sure we did not 
drink too much of it. The meat was either boiled or steamed in the 
same water, which made it taste very curious. Two meals a day was 
all we had, which consisted of some of the miserable coffee and gener- 
ally hard bread, and meat in the morning. 

About half-past four Sunday afternoon we started from Beaufort 
for New Berne, passing through the most desolate country I ever saw. 
The pickets are stationed all along the railroad, three of them together 
and having a little hut made out of anything they could get, some of 
them of boards, some of them of logs and some of branches. We 
passed one company of artillery encamped in some little houses 
deserted by the rebels. Some of our company threw two or three 
newspapers to them, and those who were lucky enough to get them 



38 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

were chased all over the camp to get the news. Our train would 
make quite a novel appearance at home as it passed at the speed of 
our expresses in the north, which we kept up most of the way, stop- 
ping only twice till we arrived in New Berne, over a long bi'idge just 
before entering the town. The railroad runs through the main street. 
After we ran into the town and stopped about half an hour, we 
backed down over the bridge again and after a march of al)out a mile 
and a half in the night we arrived at our camping ground, whicli is 
situated on the Trent river and the smoothest piece of grounti I Ijave 
ever seen in the State. There are four or five regiments encamped on 
the same ground, some in tents and some in barracks. We are in 
barracks, though they are not completed yet, and even now they are 
hammering on my bunk. The buildings arc made to contain five 
hundred men, each company having a sei)arate room. This morning 
was the (irst time 1 have had a chance to wash since I left Camp 
Wool. 

C. W. Haven. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, N. C, December 7, 1862. 
About twenty of us have just been out in the woods about a mile 
for tire-wood, which we brought in on an old horse-cart with a rope 
tied to it like a fire-engine. We always take the best wood we can 
find, whether in use or not. To-day we tore down an old rail fence, 
two or three days ago we tore down an old house for boards to make 
a floor with. Last week some of the soldiers tore down a brick house 
which used to be occupied by a slaveholder, the slaves still living in 
their houses near by and getting their living by doing washing for the 
soldiers. The brick house is used for chimneys and fire-places for 
our barracks. You will remember that Burnside ordered barracks to 
be built here some time ago, they have not been more than half built 
yet, the officers' quarters are not built yet, and even our quarters are 
not done. Those that are done are good buildings and much more 
handy than those in Worcester. Out of all the handsome hats we 
had when we left, I do not believe there are more than two hundred 
left in the whole regiment. While we lay at anchor two negroes came 
alongside our boat and had more than twenty of them in their boat ; 
those that are left have been pushed in at the top and make quite a 
decent hat. 

C. W. Haven. 




MAP 

OF 

NEV/ BERNE «f VICINITY. 



SCALt OF MILES 



FIFTY-FIR8T REGIMENT, IMASS. VOLS. 39 

At Starting. November 25, 1862. 

We started between seven and eight o'clock P. M. from Battery 
wharf on the Merrimac, the Mississijipi having the start of us of half 
an hour. We do not go very fast, not more than eight miles an hour. 
I have chosen my bunk, middle one with Fry. They are small con- 
cerns, not more than two feet high and dark as pitch. I have eaten 
nearly all my rations. The Merrimac is twenty tons more than the 
Mississipjji. The latter ship has a sharper bow and is a faster sailing 
vessel. Wednesday morning. I woke up at four o'clock. Fry 
asked me if I wanted to go up on deck. I said I would, so I jumped 
up in the bunk as I used to over in the barracks, but my head came 
against the boards overhead pretty hard, so I then took my time. 
We came up and stumbled around awhile and then went down, as we 
could see land. The place is as dark as any I ever was in, cannot 
have any lights as there would be danger of fire or explosion. There 
are fifty tons of powder and one hundred and twenty-five thousand 
rounds of cartridges on board. We passed Fort Warren in the even- 
ing. It looked gloomy, not a light to be seen. We had a pint of 
coffee and a loaf of bread this morning. We passed Martha's Vine- 
yard at ten o'clock. Saw many fishing vessels. We passed a 
schooner. A sailor on board of her fired a shot and some soldier on 
board of our steamer returned the salute. The soldiers are commenc- 
ing to be sea-sick. We are sailing twelve miles an hour. I am 
beginning to feel somewhat sick — going down to my bunk for a 
lemon. One o'clock. Travelled two hundred and twenty-five miles. 
Passed Gay Head thirty minutes ago. Have been looking down in the 
room where they cook for the officers or anybody who wants to pay. 
The price for board is eight dollars for three days. All the officers 
who carry provisions do not have to pay anything. Eight and one 
half P. M. Went to sleep at four o'clock and now come upon deck. 
Ship rolls dreadfully. I am real sea-sick — been so ever since two 
o'clock Sunday morning. Thursday morning I was sleeping dream- 
ing of home and when I waked up it made me mad to think where I 
was. I did not get over my sickness until Thursday afternoon. The 
place where we slept was worse than a hog-pen and such living would 
sicken anybody. Mud and water for coffee, sour bread, all except 
the hard crackers. Water full of sticks and tastes like rain water a 
week old — it is made of salt water condensed, and when it comes into 
the casks it is warm. By the way, I washed myself for the first time 
last night since I have been on board, for the reason that before I could 



40 HISTORY OF COINirANY C, 

not get a cliauce. Yesterday we came iu siglit of Beaufort. About 
ten o'clock we anchored live miles out. The Mississippi a mile away. 
The pilot came on board .aud said we could not go in that day and 
must wait until to-day, as there was only eighteen feet of water on 
the bar and our vessel draws sixteen feet. We are going to cross at 
two o'clock. 

C. F. PlEKCE. 

Foster liAKUACKs, December 7, 1862. 

We have a curious kind of wells here. They dig a hole in the 
sand near the river, i)ut two barrels in, one on top of the other, aud 
then let the water filter in. The time when I left off writing my last 
letter we had crossed the bar. We landed within an hour after that, 
got on board some freight cars and immediately started for New 
Berne, thirty-six miles distant. I never saw such country as where 
the railroad passes through. Where it was not swampy it was flying 
sand. Passed the battle-ground and rode right into the middle of the 
city of New Berne, and marched up to our barracks, three miles 
distant. We had to eat that night three hard crackers or, as we call 
them, hard-tacks, and a pint of coffee. All we had served daily for 
four days was six hard-tacks, now and then a little piece of meat, 
and a drink of coffee. This was just enough to make a person have 
a craving for something to eat. I went foraging last Thursday with 
a party. About the only living thing we saw was an owl. We went 
to three houses and a barn which had been torn down. I got a 
quantity of nails and lugged back three boards about five miles for 
our bunks. Our guns have 'been distributed. They are heavy con- 
cerns, weighing thirteen pounds with bayonet attached. 

C. F. Pierce. 

New Berne, December 1, 1862. 

As we can send another mail by the 3ferrimac, I will improve the 
opportunity to write you from the " Sunny South," for sunny it is so 
far. Contrary to expectations we landed yesterday about 4^ P. M., 
went right on board the train with the Eighth Regiment and started at 
once for New Berne. We were put on platform cars, such as they 
carry wood on, aud although the accommodations were neither spacious 
nor elegant we had a pleasant and to me a very short ride of not quite 
two hours. The otiicers were iu box cars at the rear of the train. 



FIFTY-FIKST REGIMENT, JIAf^S. VOL.S. 41 

We took the cars at Morehead City, opposite Beaufort, an ocld-look- 
iug city which I cannot describe, but of which you can get an idea by 
thinking of the sandy cities in the southern part of Michigan. We 
passed the battle-ground where the battle was fought when New 
Berne was taken. The cars go right through the street, I should 
think the main one of New Berne, just as the horse railroad does with 
us. The Eighth stopped there and we were taken back across the 
river towards Beaufort. We landed just after crossing and marched 
up here. I do not know how far, but far enough for the boys who 
had been sick, probably three-fourths of a mile. After reaching the 
barracks the Forty-fifth supplied us with coffee and hard tack, after 
which some officers of the Forty-third took us sergeants to their tent 
and to a good nice supper. We are encamped on the plantation of 
General Branch or Bryant, I cannot learn which, who is in command 
of rebel forces. He owned about ten thousand aq^-es of land and about 
one hundred and fifty slaves. I have just been out to the mansion, or 
rather where it was, for the soldiers have torn it down and broken 
open an old tomb on the grounds ; not soldiers who are here now for 
it was done some time ago. At first they tore up the floors to get 
boards for their tents and then tore down the walls to get bricks for 
their chimneys. It is entirely different from our northern homes but 
yet very pleasant. It stands beside the river, surrounded to some 
extent by trees, mostly shade, with no enclosure of any kind and no 
outbuildings, except negro houses. I went into two of them and 
had some very nice sweet potato pies and some wheaten short-cake. 
I wish you could have heard the boys clieer every negro we passed 
last night and every place where it was possible for a negro to be. 
They cheered almost everything human, some of the white folks 
responded and some looked and that was all. The Twenty-fifth is 
almost all away but expected back soon. A sentinel fired his gun 
twice last night and two or three regiments turned out in order of 
battle. It proved to be a false alarm, but caused considerable excite- 
ment. I went out where the alarm was at noon. It is a little 
beyond the mansion, where the soldiers have erected a regular block- 
house, with a ditch, port-holes for cannon, loop-holes for musketry 
and preparations for a vigorous defence. The soldiers live upstairs 
and if the enemy succeed in getting into the lower story they can 
close their trap door and fire down through the floor. It reminded 
me of scenes described in the Pathfinder. I went on to the lookout 
or high tower which they have for a signal. As Stephen Greene said 
4 



42 HII^TOKY OF COMPANY C, 

about his letter, 1 do not know where to stop for 1 could write until 
night, but I must close. 

G. E. DUNLAl*. 

On Board tiik Mehuimac. 
November 26, 1862, Wednesday, 8 o'clock A. M. 

We arrived safe in Boston about 3 P. M. We did not stop any 
longer than to form in line and march to the wharf. The steamers 
were all ready to receive us and we all got aboard about four, but did 
not start out of the harbor until about seven ; was sorry we could not 
wait till morning so we could have a fine view of the harbor. 

You will like to know what kind of sleeping quarters we have. 
Our company has what is called the second cabin or lower cabin. 
The bunks are in tiers the same as at the barracks, three tiers high, 
only three sleep in a bunk instead of two, and nine in a tier. It is an 
awful place, the bunks are so low you cannot sit erect, and so dark 
you cannot see your hand before your face unless you are near the 
scuttle. I happened to be pretty lucky, ours is the first bunk at the 
foot of the stairs, so we have pretty good light. I do not bunk with 
Sam Fuller on board the steamer, as we were obliged to get in most 
anywhere. Nye and Corporal Lougley sleep with me. I am up on 
deck this morning sitting in the aft of the steamer, writing home ; it 
is delightful. I am not sea-sick as yet at all, presume I shall be 
before we laud. There are quite a number sick. Sergeants Bemis 
and Perry are quite sick. We did not get our breakfast until eight 
this morning, each company waited its turn, then marched up on deck 
and received a loaf of bread and half a cup of coffee apiece, and that 
to last us all day, — that is, the bread. We shall probably have meat 
for dinner but no more bread. 

One o'clock P. M. The sea runs very high and a good many are 
sea-sick. They say this is nothing to what we shall have. The boys 
are enjoying themselves singing, &c., on deck. 1 am writing this 
near the smoke-stack, warming my feet. I do not like to stay down 
below much, it is so dark and dirty, it makes me think of packing 
hogs, we are so close. 

November 27. Arose about seven. We had a very rough night, 
the vessel rocked dreadfully, a great many are sea-sick. It is now 
half-past eight and we have not had our breakfast, do not w^ant 
scarcely anything. The sea runs very high ; cannot go on deck much 
to-day, must stay in our bunks down where it so dark we need 
lanterns in the daytime. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 43 

Thursday morning, Nov. 27. I am in my bunk writing, our bunk 
is near the hatchway so I can see quite well, but the vessel pitches so 
I cannot write very well. "Wm. Gould was sick all day yesterday, so 
was Sam Fuller. It is an awful sickness, the poor boys lying around 
on deck with their heads over the sides, and those who are not able 
to get up leaning their heads over their bunks, so you can imagine 
how the floor looks. The wind blows fiercely. 

Seven o'clock P. M. The wind has gone down and we are having 
a beautiful sail. We expect now, if nothing happens, to get to 
Beaufort to-morrow sometime. It is a splendid sight, I assure you, 
to look out on the broad ocean, the huge waves rolling so high as to 
wash over the deck. 

Friday morning, Nov. 28, 8 o'clock. Had a beautiful sail last 
evening; a great many slept on deck. Arose about seven and 
washed myself with sea water, but it does not do much good. This 
morning we can see the Mississippi on our left about ten miles dis- 
tant. Have not had any breakfast, will not have much but bread and 
sea water freshened by steam. They sell pies, very small, for 37 
cents apiece. I think it is too bad to take advantags so of the poor 
soldiers. 

Two o'clock P. M. We are putting on all steam, as the Missis- 
sippi is on our right, and we are trying to get in first ; if we do not we 
shall be obliged to stay in the boat a day longer. I shall be glad 
when we land — down here in this dark hole. I am not used to such 
fare and we can get scarcely anything to eat for love or money. I 
am writing in my bunk alone. I cannot tell when we shall near the 
harbor, some tell one story and some another. We are going at the 
rate of sixteen miles per hour. 

Saturday morning, Nov. 20. Had a good night to sail. It was a 
little rougher than the preceding. We can see land, but shall proba- 
bly be obliged to sleep on board another night, as they cannot get 
inside of the bar. 

Quarter-past eleven A. M. We still lie outside of the bar, do not 
know when we shall be piloted in. We have been lying at anchor all 
day. A pilot came on board this morning to take us into the harbor, 
but the wind is not right, so we must wait until to-morrow. 

Sunday morning, Nov. 30. We are still on board about ten miles 
from the harbor, expecting to go in to-day. The boys are getting 
uneasy, we have been on the water so long and can see land but can- 
not go ashore. I have washed myself but twice since I started, but 
never mind, we shall get to shore some time and then can clean up. 



44 HISTORY OF COMPANY O, 

We do not get breakfast until nearly ten o'clock and dinner about 
three P. M., two meals a day and poor enough at that. Coffee made 
from sea water condensed, two crackers and a small piece of steamed 
fresh meat. The sailors have some small apples on board which tlicy 
sell for live or six cents apiece. 

Monday morning, Dec. 1 . Thanks to a kind Providence we arc 
safe and sound in New Berne. We left the old boat last night at ten 
minutes past four and arrived here about eight o'clock in the evening. 
The Eighth Mass. regiment which went on the Mississi2ypi came on the 
same train. They got into port a little before we did. We landed 
at a place called Morehead City. Had only to step from the boat 
into the cars. The cars were used for wood and cattle trains, the 
oflicers took the cattle trains which were the ouly ones which were 
covered. I have just takeu my tin cup full of coffee and will now 
resume my writing. We I'an up iuto the city of New Berne, the cars 
running right through the middle of the city. It was a splendid 
evening, the moon shone so bright, and it is much warmer here than 
in old Massachusetts. We stopped about half an hour, when we 
backed down from the city half a mile or so, got off, formed in line, 
and were obliged to march a mile before we came to our barracks, 
which are to become our quarte'rs for the present. The Forty-fifth 
Mass. regiment received us, the band playing splendidly for us. 
They also treated us with coffee and hard bread. The barracks are 
long buildings and will accommodate five companies each. They are 
separated by partitions, so that each company is alone. I slept on the 
floor last night. We are about two miles from New Berne. I can- 
not realize I am in Dixie. Everything is wreck and ruin, no ambition 
nor thrift anywhere. Where we are is mostly land of yellow pine. 
They look like our scrub pines at home. There are mostly woods all 
around us. We wash in the Trent river and drink its water, which is 
filtered through sand. There are two other regiments close by us — 
the Forty-third and Forty-fifth Massachusetts. 

Tuesday, Dec. 2. Another lovely day. The sunny South, of which 
I have heard so much, I now see. We did not drill but went around 
over the plantation. Went down the river to see the ruins of the 
former owner's house, which was brick and has been torn down to 
build our chimueys with. There are two or three buildings back of 
this occupied by slaves. We visited them and got some hoe-cakes. 
Everything is very high here. The negroes are as thick as fleas 
selling pies and sweet potatoes. I have just been helping fetch our 
guns over to the barracks. Our baggage has all come now. They 



FIFTY-FIRST REGI]\rENT, MASS. VOLS. 45 

were carting from the depot all night. It will take some time to get 
settled. 

Wednesday, Dec. 3. Was on guard to-day for the first time in 
Dixie. We have not our guns, but take sticks, the best weapons we 
have at present. Are obliged to stay in the guard-house, one tent for 
each relief. I slept in the tent on the ground with the exception of 
a few spruce boughs under me. 

Thursday, Dec. 4. It rained yesterday but cleared ofif in the night 
and is very warm and pleasant. Came off guard duty at nine A. M., 
took my breakfast and went down to the river and washed myself and 
my dishes. Every man is obliged to wash his own. We were all 
very busy getting settled down. The sutler started to-day. 

Friday, Dec. 5. It rained all the forenoon. lu the afternoon 
went off foraging for wood. There is plenty here but it is some work 
to cut it and carry it to the barracks. We cook all our victuals over 
a fire in the open air. The drums beat at seven P. M., when all are 
required to stay inside of the barracks. Have not drilled since we 
came. 

Saturday, Dec. 6. Arose a little after six, roll-call at half-past. 
Had our guns delivered to us to-day. We drilled about half an hour 
to-day for the first time. 

Sunday, Dec. 7. Pleasant but very cold. Inspection at eight A. 
M. It did not seem like our quiet New England sabbath. I was 
detailed to help clean up around the building. 

Monday, Dec. 8. It was very cold for this climate, the river was 
frozen around the edges. Drilled all day. Had a meeting in the 
barracks for prayers, which are to continue fifteen minutes every night. 
It was the first we have had since we came here. 

C. A. Moore. 

Foster Barracks, December 8, 1862. 

I suppose you want to hear something of our voyage and situation 
here. After the victims were packed and everything ship-shape we 
steamed out of the harbor, and were on our way at 7 o'clock P. M. 
The wind and water began to grow rough ; we got through the night 
somehow ; quite rough next morning. Pretty soon some few began 
to grow pale and wear a very anxious look, and before long were 
over the ship's side paying due tribute to the god of the stormy seas. 
So we passed tlie day, some " so sick," others enjoying the thing, 
myself among the latter. By Thursday noon there was about as 



40 HISTOEY OF COMPANY C, 

miserable a load on board as could be possible to imagine. I expected 
when I saw everybody, almost, coming down, both great and small, 
to have a loud call in that direction myself, but owing, I suppose, to 
some superior arrangement of my internal system, I escaped the 
rendering up. I told you in my hasty scrawl, written on board the 
steamer, what a dirty, miserable, hungry time we had of it as a 
voyage. 

Sunday afternoon we got over the bar, having waited the action of 
the wind and tide all day on Saturday. Towards night we landed on 
the wharf, going over the decks of the Missisfiijj]^, which lay between 
us and the wharf, marched through the depot, which is built on the 
wharf, and were together with the Eighth regiment loaded on wood 
cars and away to New Berne. The country we passed through 
looked sandy, and barren marshes and swamps were abundant, here 
and there a negro hut with all the negroes out bowing and scraping, 
waving their hats and the children yelling like mad. Then further 
up a camp-fire of soldiers on picket duty, all turning out to welcome 
with cheers their newly made brothers coming to their share in the 
struggle for the Union ; then we passed the rough battle-field of New 
Berne, getting an imperfect view in the dim twilight of trees cut 
down and trenches dug, then a long embankment thrown up, extend- 
ing from the railroad down to the river. At last we passed over the 
long bridge into the city, or town, I do not know which, of New 
Berne. The cars stopped at last in the streets of New Berne and 
were surrounded by a motley crew I assure you, soldiers and negroes 
principally. Pretty soon I heard some one enquiring for Charley 
Maynard, and lo, Charley Bartlett presented himself — I guess I was 
glad to see him, — then Charlie Kendall came, then Sidney Phillips, 
till I felt as if I had reached home. The Eiglith regiment unloaded 
there and went through the town to where the Forty-sixth were 
encamped, and the train with us on board backed out of the town 
over the bridge, and we unloaded and were marched up where we now 
are in barracks ; the Cadet regiment beside us and the Forty-third 
and Twenty-seventh regiments around us. We are on a plantation 
situated on the banks of the Trent river, with a large parade-ground. 
We have very fair water. We take and fill our canteens and let it 
stand in them a day or two and it is really very good indeed. The 
first day or two discipline was lax and guard was nowhere, the boys 
improved them by excursions in the surrounding country. vSergeant 
Miller, Moses and myself took a grand tramp, went all over the 
battle field of New Berne, walked down on the top of the breast- 



FIFTY-FIK8T REGIMENT, 3IASS. VOLS. 47 

works which extend for over a mile and terminate in a fort wliich 
commands the river, and, folks, you never can imagine a true picture 
of a battle-field till you see one ; all is desolation for miles, trees cut 
down, burnt and blackened stumps, knapsacks worn and torn, broken 
canteens, breeches of guns, in the woods trees scarred and torn with 
bullets and balls, ground torn up, the fort a big hole, sand bags piled 
around iu grand confusion, timbers on end ; but I cannot begin to tell 
you all. I send you a relic in the shape of a shaving of leather cut 
from an old knapsack. I have also a bullet that I dug from a tree. 
I should like to tell you more but have not time. The boys of the 
Twenty-fifth that remain here (most of them are up at Plymouth on 
picket) come over here every day. I must close now, as I have got 
to go on dress parade. 

C. L. Maynard. 

FosTKR Barracks, January 11, 1863. 

We aie having beautiful weatlier, have just had a little rain to-day ; 
the weather is warm and sunny like an April day in the north. I 
suppose you are freezing at home. Mother asks how we live. The 
food we get is pretty tough, but we live on it. We buy syrup of the 
sutler and get meal in the city and make puddings in our cups which 
we thinic is pretty tall feed. I haven't done much darning yet, thougl) 
I sewed my overcoat pretty nuich all over and put a patch on my pants 
and sewed my buttons over. I find T do not di.slike to mend at all, 
do it pretty well I think. As a cook my ability is not to be ques- 
tioned. We have got to living very comfoilably since the last expedish. 
Just commenced having prayer meetings in the quarters after roll-call 
at night. We have to drill hard. Go on guard. There are three 
companies on picket besides the detail of six from each company daily 
to go out along the river. 

C. L. Maynakd. 

Foster Barracks. 
Nkw Bernk, N. C, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1863. 

You ask me what I am doing and where I am. As I am unable to 
tell you where I was on that day I will tell you my present where- 
abouts and occupations. Imagine me then on the edge of the bunk, 
legs over the side, big board in my lap writing to the folks at home. 
I will state the duties of the day. Roll call 6.30. Breakfast. Guard 
mountiny; 8.30. Drill from 9 to 11.30. Dinner 12. Battalion or 



48 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

brigade drill from 1.30 to 4. Dress parade 4.30. Supper. Roll-call 
7.30. And our duties or rather our labors of the day are ovei". Taps 
at 9 P. M., when all lights must be extinguished. So you see our time 
is extremely limited. 

At the present time it takes nearly all the company for guard, 
picket and fatigue duty; nine men for guard, six for picket and eight 
for fatigue duty. General Foster is fortifying New Berne, digging 
rifle pits, &c. Our detail is for that purpose. The great expedition is 
expected to start every day. We are leading a very comfortable life 
here, that is, comfortable for a soldier. We have soft bread every 
three days, fresh meat the same, other rations consist of beans and rice 
occasionally, hard-tack serai-occasionally and more too. My amuse- 
ments are so few I can easily relate the sum total : Get up in the 
morning, and immediately after roll-call go down to the river and go 
through Avith my usual ablutions — back again in time for breakfast. 
After breakfast take a smoke, cleaning my gun and equipments, at the 
same time arranging ray bunk. This consumes the time before drill. 
At noon we have scarcely any time and are busy until after dress 
parade. Supper finished we feel our own men, then we fill the pipe of 
comfort and our crowd either pile into one bunk to have a talk of 
home or settle down to a euchre, which is a great game with us. It 
may astonish you to hear of me, and fi'om myself, as a smoker, but it 
is highly recommended by all surgeons out here as a preventative 
against those congestive chills, which are carrying away so many of 
our boys, and also other diseases of this climate; our regimental sur- 
geon prescribes it for us and the other night at the dress parade of the 
Forty-fifth, in barracks next to ours, it was strongly recommended 
that every man should smoke. I forgot to mention a new regulation 
just come in force, — quinine and whisky is to be administered to every 
man, whether he will or no, every morning before breakfast, — that is 
for the chills. I forgot to mention one great privilege we have, that 
is evening prayer meetings every evening after roll-call, a meeting in 
our room led in turn by some member of the company. Some one 
reads a chapter in the Bible, then we have a prayer and close with a 
hymn. The boxes have not arrived yet, we are anxiously expecting 
them though some fear they were lost in the storm. I wonder if you 
received the letter I wrote in which I named the things I wanted. 
Please let me know how many letters you have received from me. 
You cannot have received all I have written. When you next write 
send me some postage stamps and some money. I wore shoes on the 
expedish. I manage by the most strenuous exertions to keep clean. 



FIFTY-FIKST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 49 

One of the company washes for the boys at ten cents a change, which 
relieves nie from a disagreeable necessity. As for mending I take 
pleasure in it, stockings and all. I keep all my clothes mended 
strongly if not neatly. As for sweet potatoes, I had my fill while on 
the expedish, and can have them now by buying them, they cost about 
seventy-five cents a bushel. Oysters thirty cents per quart. I can 
make as good a cup of tea or coffee and cook as nice beefsteak with 
roasted sweet potatoes as you can^ with no condiments but sugar and 
salt, with a few coals for a stove and my tin plate and cup for cooking 
utensils to be used to set our table with afterwards. If you doubt my 
ability we will try it when I get home. 

C. L. Maynard. 

New •Berne, February 15, 1863. 

I received your letters Fiiday night. I was very tired that night 
and had gone to bed, and was lying over the side of my bunk watch- 
ing a game of euchre, which Lieutenant Bigelow and three of the 
boys were playing, when the mail was brought in that you sent by 
Oliver Shaituck. I was very glad to hear the regular mail had been 
distributed by which I got three letters, so I was well off". The money 
got here all right, five dollars, the knife and scissors which I received 
somehow or other. I enjoy myself right well. Yesterday we had a 
game of ball into which the Major entered heartily as any one, as did 
Captain Wheeler and Lieutenant Winslow. To-day the two of our 
companies, F and B, that were doing picket duty on the railroad were 
replaced by E and H. This afternoon we were treated to a sermon by 
Mr. James, who preached to us by the invitation of 'our chaplain. I 
am very glad you are getting another box ready for me. There is one 
thing I wish you would send, that is some mince pies. Send me some 
of that sheet gingerbread you sent before, it went just splendid, also 
some more sugar, more than before, butter likewise, and do not forget 
the jelly or preserves. You can imagine how such things would help 
you to make out a supper of hard-tack and tea without milk or much 
sugar after an afternoon's hard drill. A little sauce or butter does not 
go bad. You must send me two or three quires of letter paper, some 
envelopes also. The dried apples I made a little sauce of them yester- 
day, which went very well at supper time with my hard-tack. 

Henry Kendall and Ed. Bliss are quite sick, though Kendall is pro- 
nounced out of danger. I believe there are a great many sick with a 
veiy dangerous fever. It takes them very suddenly and but little can 
5 



50 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

be done for Ihem. The only preventatives are quinine and whisky, 
smoking tobacco freely and keeping out of the night air, When I am 
on guard or being called out of a sound sleep and go on to my beat, 
before long I can feel a cold chill coming on nic, then I fill my pipe 
and go to smoking. I drive off the uncomfortable feeling. I always 
make it a point of smoking when I am in the night air. Henry Long- 
ley was on guard, the next beat to mine, the night he was taken. As I 
lit ray pipe he remarked that he hadn't smoked as much as usual lately 
and that his head ached. In about two hours he was obliged to go in 
to the barracks. In two days the surgeon said there was no hojjc for 
him, but he is alive yet, and that's the way with most of them. 

As for the cost of things at sutler's prices, butter 40 cents, brown 
sugar 20, syrup 25 cents a quart and everything in that proportion. 
The water is bad ; I drink little or none of it. I save my coffee and 
drink that when it gets warm. I was never better or happier than 
now. Hope I shall keep so. You can hustle the box along as soon as 
convenient. If you knew how much these boxes bring, you would be 
sending eleven times a week. 

C. L. Maynaru. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, Feburary 5, 1863. 
Dear Folks: 

I am writing this before breakfast and just after whisky 
rations, with fingers so stiff I can hardly use them. Lieutenant Bige- 
low just told me I could have a few small articles sent in his box, so I 
write to let you know what I want. I do not suppose you can send all 
I want, but will write you a list so you can send some at the lime. 
Writing paper, envelopes, a big stock of them too, two packages of 
composition, a small steel burnisher, chamois skin, piece of castile soap, 
stockings, a good tooth brush, send this sure, two pair of scissors, a 
silk handkerchief, a two-bladed pocket-knife, a bottle of ink, package of 
prepared cocoa. This is all I think of at present. You must send 
what you can and let the rest go. Perhaps you can send all. 

C. L. Maynard. 

Foster Barracks, February 27, 1863. 
Dear Folks: 

This regiment has just returned from a small excuision 
along the Trent road, three miles this side of what is called Deep 



riFTY-FIKST REGIMENT, MA.SS. VOLS. 51 

Gully, where our farthest picket post is stationed. We went there 
last Saturday in light inarching order, one day's cooked rations in our 
haversacks, five in wagons. The original idea was to get the regiment 
out of the way and then fix the barracks over, as Colonel Jones had 
made a request for reinforcements to the picket on that road. We 
were sent up but it was found that the barracks could not be fixed as 
intended, so we were recalled to go to Beaufort, which put the boys in 
a jolly state of mind, I assure you. We have had a splendid time at 
Camp Studley. We slept on the ground, but were furnished with 
shelter tents which consist of a piece of stout drilling about five feet 
square, with a set of buttons on all sides so we could take four ot 
them, button them together, plant two crotched sticks about ten feet 
apart, throw a pole on them, then stretch our square of cloth over, pin 
the sides to the ground with stakes and then we have a tent for four. 
We cut a lot of grass to sleep on. I spent the laziest week I have 
had in N. C. It rained three nights and two days, so we had a chance 
to get a little damp. We were not allowed to build fires or burn 
candles after 7J o'clock in the evening for feSr of the rebs., so we went 
to bed at that time and staid there too for one twelve hours, sleeping 
like pigs in the straw. Last night Co. C was selected to go on picket 
in Deep Gully, but as Lieutenant Bigelow was on guard Co. F was 
detailed instead, and as it rained all night they had a miserable time of 
it. 

C. L. Maynard. 



GOLDSEORO MAIICII. 



Foster Bauuacks, 
New Berne, December 22, 18G2. 

We got back into the barracks yesterday, Sunday, liaving been gone 
nearly eleven days, on ten of which we were marching nearly all the 
time. Slept on the ground every night with no covering, except a 
woollen and rubber blanket. I took a negro with me to carry niy 
bundle, but he troubled me with being out of the way when I wanted 
him and was gone one night with my blankets, until finally he left too, 
leaving behind my things, which was fortunate for me as they are too 
good to lose. Next time we go I shall leave these behind and take 
such as I can get from the quartermaster. The second night out our 
regiment was left to guard a bridge and secure a retreat in case we 
were defeated. So the first battle or skirmish, which was at Kinston, 
passed without our participating in it. We followed on after the 
column, consisting upwards of 20,000 men, composed of infantry, 
cavalry and artillery, to a small village called Whitehall, where we 
were almost in the fight. It was a hot one and soon over. We 
captured several pieces of artillery and drove the rebs. ofi". It was a 
sad sight to see the wounded brought past us as we lay on the ground, 
with bayonets fixed ready for a charge, the shot and shell flying over 
our heads, while every now and then a piece would strike very near 
us. A man within three feet of me had his tin cup hit with a ball, and 
another in front of John had a piece of shell pass through his overcoat. 
We then went on to Goldsboro, or within a mile of the town, and iiad 
another skirmish. We had no larger game to kill than pigs, geese 
and chickens, which had to suffer considerably, I assure you. All 
foraging was strictly forbidden before we started, but coming back 
our commissary was short, so small parties were organized to procure 
such fresh meat as they could find, which led to individuals getting off 
and doing what they could to plunder whatever they could lay tlieir 
hands on. I got a chance on a rest at noon to go to a house nearly a 
mile off, which I found entirely deserted and all the furniture removed 



FIFTY-FIRST RECJIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 53 

by the owner, except a marble top table. It belonged to John C. 
Wooden, who has been a member of Congress from North Carolina to 
the Confederate government. A negro went with us, Sergeant Miller 
and myself, and all we could get was nearly twenty-five pounds of 
honey which we took from two hives. I got stung once and Sergeant 
Millei- three times. The honey went oif quick after we got back to 
our place of rest. The plantations here are generally over a mile apart 
and this one where we got the honey was altogether the best one I have 
seen. Nearly all the people who ever lived here were poor and their 
houses are not so good as I would have for a pig-pen, being built of 
rough logs and chimneys of sticks laid up in cob house style, plastered 
with mud. Our march back was done in a day and a half less time 
than that up, and the sight of these barracks made every heart glad, for 
now we can have at least a few days' rest. I never saw so black white 
men as we were. Our camp-tires at night were made of pine fence 
rails and the smoke from them blackened our whole bodies. I washed 
my face never more than once a day and sometime once in two days. 
The water we had to drink was got from the side of the road or a 
creek that came from some dismal swamp. Nearly all started in good 
spirits and were glad to go, and I can say that all returned fully satis- 
fied that the remainder of their period of service should pass in camp. 

L. H. BiGELOW. 

New Berne, December 25, 1862. 

We have just got back from an expedition upon which we started on 
the 11th. We formed line at 5 o'clock in the morning and started for 
New Berne, where all the force was collected, which consisted of three 
brigades, 15,000 infantry, a regiment of cavalry and 50 pieces of artil- 
lery. We were on the left of the first brigade, which was commanded 
by General Amory. General Foster commanded the whole expedition. 
We started from New Berne at 10 o'clock. We marched about 15 
miles that day. I thought I had a hard time that day, but I will show 
you I had a very easy time compared with some of the other days. 
We had orders to be under light marching order, which is to have two 
blankets, three days' rations in your haversack, canteen and overcoat, 
which all weighed 20 pounds, also 50 rounds of cartridges weighing 4 
or 5 pounds. The first day's march was a pretty hard march to some of 
the boys; a great many of them fell out, myself amongst the rest. Our 
camping ground was on a side-hill ; right down in a hollow below the 
road was filled up with trees for the space of a half a mile by the 



54 HISTOKY OF COMPANY 0, ' 

rebels. This was done to impede the progress of our artillery. It 
took the pioneers all night to clear the road. We went into camp 
about 7 o'clock in the evening. I tell yon I thought of home. 

Friday, 12th. I was on guard last night; I got about six hours' 
sleep. We had coffee and sugar dealt out. I tried to make some 
coffee but I made sorry work of it. We started away from camp 
at 8 o'clock and marched eight miles. It seemed twenty miles. We 
passed many wounded and dead rebels. One rebel was shot tlirough 
the head. One of our cavalry ordered the rebel cavalryman to surren- 
der, who said he would; when our man got up near the rebel raised 
his carbine and fired, this was more than our man could stand, so he 
fired and shot the rebel through the head. He was dying when we 
passed. The rebels tried to blow up a bridge, which hindered us so 
we could not march farther. We encamped just the further side of it. 
I made coflEee a little bettei' this time. 

Saturday, 13th. We are going to stay here to-day. We are now 
in what would be called rebeldom. I went out this morning with 
Lavarty. We scared up a hog ; chased it around for about half an 
hour, when Lavarty caught her by the tail when going between 
two trees ; he hollered for me, I came and caught her by the hind legs. 
We hauled her out part way when Lavarty tried to stick her with his 
sabre, his being so dull he took mine, which killed her. We have 
twenty-three rebel prisoners ; amongst them are a lieutenant, orderly 
and corpoi'al, the rest are privates from South Carolina and Georgia 
regiments. 

Sunday, 14th. Our company was detailed to guard the rebel 
prisoners and baggage of our regiment. The first platoon for the for- 
mer and second platoon for the latter. Guarding of a baggage train 
is one of the diflScult things on a march. One of the wagons will get 
stuck in the mud and will cause the others to stop and when they 
start they will have to trot their horses to catch up with the regiment. 
We either went double-quick or between a walk and a trot for two- 
thirds of the day. We halted for awhile about seven miles from 
Kinston, where the regiment had halted, when orders came for us to 
march into the town where there had been a severe fight with the 
rebels. It was as dark as Erebus and we as tired as anybody could be, 
and then the seven long miles, half the way of which was through mud 
and water four or five inches deep. We could not pick a way because 
we did not have time, and then we were liable to step into a deeper 
liole. I was wet half way up to my waist. The baggage halted on 
the banks of the Neuse on a part of the battle-field, and right side of 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 55 

a hospital full of wounded, dead and dying. This march was as hard 
as any days we had. One of our men, Ben Carrico, fell down on the 
side of the road senseless, perfectly exhausted. He afterwai'ds was car- 
ried to a hospital. Fry thought he could not keep up without his load 
was lightened, so he flung away his blanket, — woollen one. We e.x 
peoted some rebel cavalry would be coming down on us, so at one time 
when we were waiting for the baggage train to go along and were 
lying on the ground, Hines said there were twenty cavalrymen coming 
at full speed, we all thought they were rebels, so we jumped up quick 
and formed a line and began to unbutton our cap boxes, but when the 
men got near enough we found they were ours. This was all done in 
half of the time it takes me to write about it. We camped right side 
of a bridge over the Neuse, two-thirds as long as Long Pond cause- 
way. When the rebels retreated across the bridge they tried to set 
fire to it. A man had some cotton and camphene which he lit 
and threw on the bridge. He was soon ended, shot througii the 
head. Then some of his cotton right side of him and his clothes took 
fire and he was roasted even to a blackness. Some of the boys went 
down to see him ; they thought it was quite a sight and so I did, but 
before we got through the expedition it became a common sight to see 
a dead man. 

Monday, loth. We marched over to the regiment this morning 
about two miles distant and had rations of hard-tack, coffee and sugar 
served out to us. About half an hour after we had been over there 
we started off with the regiment towards Whitehall. We had no idea 
at the time where we were going ; we all thought we were going into 
battle that day, so I threw away my woollen blanket and before we 
had marched three hours as much as half of the company had thrown 
away theii" blankets. There were some that fell ,out before they had 
marched five miles, amongst our company were five or six. There 
was a consideraV)le lot of foraging done to-day ; applejack and chickens 
were plenty. I did not get any. In the evening I went over to a 
house near where we camped and got some sweet potatoes. One time 
when we rested General Foster passed through the lines ; we were 
prepared for him, so we gave three rousing cheers. I marched three 
hours barefoot, because we had such nice walking. You can go a 
mile without seeing a stone. 

Tuesday, 16th. I got a half-pound of fresh pork to eat from 
Captain Wood's servant who had been killing a secession pig. Last 
night the cavalry had a fight with the rebels ; they destroyed the 
bridge across the river Neuse. We started this morning at 7 o'clock. 



50 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

We had been marching about half an hour when we began to hear 
cannon ; they sounded very near. We all thought we were going into 
battle sure. We marched ahout two hours when we came up to where 
the battle was ; we were ordered to open to the right and left to let 
pass some batteries which were going at a dead run. It began to seem 
like war. We were ordered to cap our pieces. To tell the plain and 
honest truth I was somewhat afraid ; it made me think of home, but 
still T wanted to go into action. It seemed like a Fourth of July on a 
grand scale. Soon we came to where we could see the cannon play- 
ing. There was a continual roar for the space of two hours. It was 
principally an artillery fight. We were ordered into line in the middle 
of a cleared lot and to lie down. This place was quite dangerous, balls 
flying not more than ten feet above our heads. Then we were to march 
down near some woods to defend battery K. Here we were ordered 
again to lie down. I then had a good chance to view the fight. 
Between us and the lebels there were woods. The rebels had very 
stiong fortifications just the other side of the river. I tell you to see 
the wounded and dead brought along was a dreadful sight. One of 
the artillery boys had both hands shot off. There was an artillery 
horse killed not more than thirty feet from me. Litters passing by 
covered with human blood, the roar of the cannon, volleys of musketry, 
men riding at break-neck speed, the sound of the bugles giving off 
orders made the most exciting scene I ever witnessed in my life. Tom 
Gilbert, in our company, had his dish struck by a spent ball. Two 
fellows in the Blackstone company were struck by the same kind of 
balls. It knocked one down senseless ; the other it took the cloth off 
the shoulder of his coat, leaving only a tew threads. We had a pretty 
lively time for a little while. We did not go into action but were 
drawn up in line of battle. General Foster was near us for some time. 
We started away from here at about 2 o'clock. I thought we were 
going to charge on the rebels by going across the river. It was just 
what I wanted to come to pass, because I have heard a great deal 
about them and wanted to see what it was. Contrary to my expecta- 
tions we did not, but kept on marching until we halted about ten 
miles from th(!re towards Goldsboro. I made some coffee. I got 
wind of where there were some sweet potatoes ; I went after some 
about 10 o'clock, which I cooked with my fresh pork and then had a 
jjretty good meal. I pretty nearly froze, all I had was my rubber 
blanket. The uights during the march were very cold. I slept 
warm only one night during the niarch. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 57 

Wednesday, 17th. Our regiment is detailed to-day to guard the 
baggage train. We all thought the rebels would be attacking the 
train. There was a fight going on up at Goldsboro. We could hear 
the booming of the cannon. The Forty-third, who were behind us, 
were ordered down on a road in the direction of Whitehall with a 
company of cavalry. We marched very slow and nothing of importance 
happened on going up. We got within a mile and a half of where the 
fight was when orders came for the baggage train to turn around and 
go back. We had the same orders too after we had marched a half a 
mile. We were drawn up in regimental line and let the train pass 
through. Soldiers that came along said we had accomplished our 
object, namely, destroying the railroad and the bridges. We marched 
back nearl}' ten miles, and when we got back ready to stack arms orders 
came for us to march back to Goldsboro to support a battery. It then 
was 7 o'clock in the evening ; we were all tired, hungry and sleepy. 
I did not have a hard-tack or water ; I had only five hard-tack for all 
day. I asked Fry to let me have a little piece of bread, he said he 
had not got any haid-tack or water. I then realized the full force of 
those words, "There is no place like home." All around us were 
great pitch pine trees and dry grass burning. It was almost light 
enough to read. We marched about three and a half miles when we 
met the battery and we then turned around and went back. We march- 
ed very fast. I did not think we had gone more than a mile and a half, 
but it seemed three times as long as going up. Fry came up to me 
and said, "Let us go ahead and get some sweet potatoes at an old 
woman's house." We went and got as much as half a bushel of them. 
We sat up half of the night cooking them when we got back to camp. 

Thursday, 18th. We started from camp before sunrise ; passed our 
last camping ground in about half an hour aftei" starting. We would 
march a short distance and then halt to let artillery pass. It was quite 
a cold morning, so I thought I would get ahead. I managed to get past 
the file closers and made out to keep ahead all day. I had the most 
fun to-day of any day on the march. I was determined to get some 
kind of a trophy to-day and to get enough to eat. The first house that 
I came to had been pretty well ransacked. I got a Loomis' Algebra 
and Pineo Grammar and a letter from a rebel lieutenant to his mother 
I flung away the books to make way for some sweet potatoes. I threw 
away the letter accidentally, as it was in one of the books. Fry had 
read it and he has told me just now that it dated from Richmond and 
said the writer had been promoted from a 3d lieutenant to a 1st lieuten- 
ant, and he wanted a new pair of boots, that the pair he had bought 



58 HISTORY OF COMPANY 0, 

at Goldsboio were worn out. The next house I came across was near 
Whitehall. I went down near the negro cabins where I found as 
much as 200 bushels of sweet potatoes. I went down for chickens but 
could not find any. Came across an old woman who said that massa 
had left her here to lake care of the children. In the house was a 
lounge covered with blood and on the floor was a great puddle too. 
Pj'obably somebody was brought in at the time of the battle. About 
two miles from there was the hospital for the wounded. About half 
a mile beyond I stopped and baked potatoes and ate them. The next 
place I stopped there was a large number of books. I wished I could 
have brought some of them along, but it would have been too much of 
a lug for I was as much as fifty miles from home. I had just stolen a 
ride (>f about three miles on the back of a feed wagon; I was pretty 
well jounced up, tore my haversack, bent my plate nearly double. 
The next place I stopped belonged to a rebel lieutenant ; this and the 
last were places of refinement. I got an Arabian Nights and a 
splendid vase. I gave the vase to a man who was driving a baggage 
wagon for the Forty-third ; that was the last I ever saw of it. I got a 
secession almanac of this year. I came up to one house pretty hungry 
and was determined to have some meat, so I hunted around and found 
some meat in a little house. There were some soldiers up there who 
had begun to cook some sweet potatoes, so I flung in my meat and 
cooked it with some potatoes. We had to walk as much as eight 
miles before we camped, which was between 6 and 7 o'clock in the 
evening. I was two or three miles ahead of the regiment. I came up 
with some of the Twenty-fifth, who gave me some fresh pork which 
they had foraged. I cooked this with ray sweet potatoes for supper. 
The regiment came up to me, so I fell in and marched to where we 
stacked arms; laid my blanket down and went right to sleep and in 
that way missed getting my four hard-tack which we were to have for 
to-morrow. I woke up at half past ten o'clock and could not go to 
sleep after that because I was so cold. I cooked all my sweet potatoes. 
Friday, 19. I washed myself this morning. I made out to get ofl" 
some of the dirt ; I was about the color of the ace of spades. I wish 
we all could have marched through Main Street, Worcester. We 
went through Kinston about 10.30 o'clock. We marched on the 
Trent road instead of going the old crooked backway road that we 
came up on. By going this way we saved 7 miles travel. The I'ebels 
expected we would come up this way, but the cavalry found out we 
could come up that way, so we took the old road. If we had gone 
that way the rebels would have cut us all in pieces, as we cut some of 



FIFTY-FIEST RFOIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 59 

their regiments at Goldsboro. There were fortifications that com- 
raanfled the road for miles. We halted this afternoon about 4 o'clock. 
I got two rails and then started over to a house about half a mile away 
to see what I could get. All I could find was a few peeping chickens, 
I let them go. Just then the guard came up and ordered me off. I 
went to an out house where I got three or four bushels of corn busks 
in my coat and carried them to camp for Charles and myself to sleep on. 
We halted about four miles this side of Kinston to wait for some 
fellows who had gone to unload some hard-tack, coffee and sugar. 
The quartermaster had entirely got out of rations, so he had a ship 
load sent up to Kinston during that time. Our second lieutenant went 
off and got two pails full of honey-comb out of a tree, which he gave 
to the boys. 

Saturday, 20th. We started away from camp by 7 o'clock in the 
morning. We passed by near where our second camping-ground was 
at the bridge about 9 o'clock, passed the first at 1 o'clock. The soldiers 
fell out in great numbers to-day. I kept up until half-past three when 
they had a halt. I was very tired ; my pants and feet were wet. By 
stopping it stiffened ray limbs so I could but just walk. I fell behind 
and when along opposite a house which set up next to some woods I 
went up there. The old man said he had protection papers from General 
Foster. We were near our pickets. Two old men, soldiers, came up 
just then and they believed it, so I thought it must be so. They said 
he must give them some salt pork or they would have to take some 
chickens. That was said more to scare him than anything. He went 
into the house and gave them about a half-pound of salt pork and me 
about the same. One of the men saw some sausages that had not 
been divided as they are done up and he said I guess I will take one, 
I thought so too and took one about 2^ feet long; then we left. I 
met a man who had some fresh pork with whom I swapped some of 
my salt pork. By this adventure I had a nice supper and breakfast. 
There were only ten in the company when they went into camp, the 
rest had fallen out, but came along in one at a time. I was one of the 
stragglers. 

Sunday, 21st. My feet are all blisters and swollen. This is the 
reason why I could not keep up yesterday. The regiment reached 
their quarters in the first part of the afternoon. Fry and I did not get 
in till an hour later. I tell you it was a most welcome sight when I 
viewed the barracks. 

C. F. Pierce. 



60 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

Newbern, December 31, 1862. 
Dear Friknds : 

Since I last wrote to yoa I have been on one of the many 
expeditions which are concocted in the department. We went up the 
Nense river road as far as Goldsboro for the purpose of destroying the 
railroads and telegraph, and thus cut off communication with the 
rebels at Richmond. We accomplished our object, stopping on our 
way to reduce Kinston and Whitehall, the former a place of some 
importance on the Neuse river and tolerably well defended. At 
Kinston our advance, consisting of the Ninth New Jersey, Tenth 
Conn., One Hundred and Third New York, and Forty-fifth Mass., liad 
as fierce a battle, so say the Twenty-fifth Mass., as was required to 
take New Berne. Our loss was quite small, considering the briskness 
of the fire which was kept up for five hours almost without cessation, 
there being 200 killed, wounded and missing. The reason of the easy 
conquest was that we approached them from a most unexpected 
quarter. The road we went up must be eight or ten miles further and 
more difficult to travel than the Neuse road, by which they evidently 
looked for us, having made extensive preparations in the way of 
breastworks and rifle pits for our reception. They made their next 
stand at a bridge across the Neuse at a small village called Whitehall. 
The road lay very near the river and it was necessary to dislodge them 
or be harassed by a cross fire during the passage. The battle lasted 
about four hours and it was fierce cannonading all the time ; it was 
truly tremendous and harmless in proportion. The fight commenced 
about 10 A. M. and about 2 P. M. the rebels took up their howling 
stampede for Goldsboro, that being on this occasion their last ditch. 
It was not General Foster's intention to attack them there, his force 
not being sufficient. Accordingly after tearing up four or five miles of 
railroad and burning two large bridges we turned our faces towards 
New Berne. I did not experience so much fatigue at any time on the 
march out as 1 did on the return. We fell short of provisions and 
were obliged to make long and rapid marches to come out even. I 
liked it on one account as it gave us an opportunity to live on the 
enemy, and we did forage unmercifully, taking everything available, 
both animal and vegetable. One man said we damaged him $5,000 
worth. We would liked to have damaged him more but we could not 
see how. All the time we were out we had all the sweet potatoes we 
could eat; on some plantations recently vacated we found two or three 
hundred bushels, I should think. The cavalry being in the advance 



....^>*^i 



Co„Fed, 



.'" flotteriee 



^""'W.. 




Battle or Wwitehai_i_ 
Dec. 16, 1862. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 61 

all the lime got nearly all the poultry. I threw away my blanket as it 
was so heavy, and slept cool in consequence several nights, thereby 
reaping one of my slight colds, but received no other injury beyond 
sore feet. I kept the barracks awake by my barking a few nights 
after my return. I have drawn another blanket which I have sworn to 
hang to. 1 cannot say that I saw any rougher times than I expected, 
for at no time did we go through water above our knees and we had a 
fire to sleep by every night. It took the enthusiasm out of a great 
many however. Our first march was hard, so said even the old regi- 
ments, but I think it might have been harder. 

C. B. Fry. 

New Berne, December 30, 1S62. 

The night before the battle we encamped about half a dozen miles 
from Whitehall. Early the next morning we started on the march. 
It vvas pleasant, the air was fresh and invigorating. We were toiling 
along under our heavy burdens over a sandy road, looking forward 
every few moments for a halt of the column so we might enjoy the 
luxury of a rest, when suddenly a report of a cannon some distance to 
the front told us our advance had encountered the enemy. What a 
thrill runs through our hearts at that first discharge, as thicker and 
faster comes the roar of the guns, each man's spirit and enthusiasm rise 
in proportion. We no longer think of our heavy load and weary 
limbs, but listened with anxious hearts to the approaching struggle. 
The noise and din of the stiife becomes more distinct every moment. 
We halted a moment by the roadside to allow some artillery which 
was in the rear to come to the front, with their horses upon the 
gallop they came thundering down the hill through our ranks and 
were soon lost to view behind the woods. We were already loaded 
and our Colonel gave the order to prime. We then started down the 
road, at the bottom of which there was a large brook and beyond it 
the open field where our aitillery was tiring with great rapidity. It 
did not take us long to cross the stream and then we marched out upon 
the plain. I thought at first we were to go along under cover of the 
woods between the batteries of friend and foe, but soon we counter- 
marched and faced the woods on the light. We now fixed bayonets 
and advanced towards the woods, I thought now that we were either 
to ford the river or cross the bridge, either of which would have been 
death to many of us. Again I had guessed wrong, for when we 
reached the woods we halted, lay down and hugged the ground with a 



62 TILSTORY OF COMPANY C, 

wondc'iful fondness for the missiles of death were flying thick and fast. 
I turned my head in the direction of our batteries just in season to see 
a ball strike a horse in the leg, and leaping and jumping upon three 
legs the poor beast soon fell to the ground. The stretchers with their 
dying freight were being hurried by to the rear. A lieutenant with an 
arm all shattered and bleeding came staggering along without aid with 
the most sorrowful and miserable countenance I ever saw. A poor 
private with a broken leg with two assistants also passed, and another 
with a wound in the head, and one by one they came with bleedmg 
wounds. I turned from the sight with a shudder just in time to see a 
piece of a shell strike a few feet in front of me. The battle still raged 
but one could see that the discharges were less frequent. Down by 
the river some houses were in flames, adding grandeur to the scene. 
Behind the burning houses I could see one of our signal corps waving 
his flag and signaling with one a little to the left of us. During the 
whole battle our troops were passing behind our batteries on towards 
Goldsboro. Soon the battle slackened and the artillery drew off"; the 
infantry kept up a scattering fire which w^as faintly returned. We 
now moved off* from the field and followed the rest, but in doing so 
two of the regiment were wounded. The battle raged about four 
hours. There were not many troops in it, but though small it was a 

fierce fight. 

L. L. Hicks. 

Camp of the 51st Reg. guarding a bridge on the road to Kinston. 

December 13, 1862. 

I seize the first opportunity of writing that I have had since my last 
letter. 

Thursday morning we started about six o'clock, marched into New 
Berne to lake part in the great expedition consisting of about 20,000 
men, a large force of both cavalry and artillery. We marched about 
17 miles on the Trenton road, making 20 for us that were encamped 
the other side of the river. 

I assure you it was tough, we were in what they call light marching 
oi'der, that means our blankets, haversacks and canteens with three 
days' rations and 50 rounds of cartridges, which with guns make no 
light load. 

The men would lag and drop behind and lie down almost entirely 
exhausted, with sore feet and aching shoulders. We camped in a large 
level piece well tired out, every man ; as for Moses and myself, we stood 
it remarkably. I never imagined I could do as much as I went 



FIFTY-FIUST KEOIMIONT, MASS. VOLS. (i3 

through that day. We went to the fences and got rails, then built 
rousing fires, and made our supper of hard crackers and beef. We 
spread one rubber blanket on the ground and a woollen one over 
that, — lay down feet to the fire and spreading the rest of the blanket 
over us, slept sweetly and soundly until morning when we roused up 
quite early and soon were on the march. M. and I stood this better 
than the first day and marched nearly as far. On arriving at the bridge 
which the rebels had destroyed, and our engineers had built up within 
a few hours, our regiment was left to guard the bridge and cover the 
retreat over it in case of a defeat, it being a very I'esponsible position. 
When we got here I was not half so tired as I have been in the old 
barracks, though my shoulders and feet were lame. All day yesterday 
the advance of the cavalry were surprising and capturing rebels pickets, 
some they shot. 

We have fifteen in camp under guard, they arc a miserable looking 
set of men, no pretensions to any uniform, ragged and dirty. 

We went out foraging before the Colonel put a stop to it, the camp 
swarmed with chickens and hogs; the boys would run the hogs down 
and then stick them with their knives, skin and cut them up and bring 
them in and in a few minutes they would be steaming away over a big 
fire and that would be the last of the pig. 

One of our company ran his bayonet right through a big hog clear 
up to the hilt. 

I have got some of the meat keeping until it is fit to cook, as I 
wouldn't eat it so fresh, and so we live. 

I do not know when I shall have a chance to send this but I thought 
a letter might be interesting to you, written where the sound of cannon 
in battle reaches our ears. I doubt whether you can read this as I 
write lying on the ground with a blanket stretched over my head sup- 
ported by sticks. If you cannot I'll tell you when I get home, till then 
imagine me happy and contented with my lot. C. L. Maynard. 

Camp of the 51st Regiment, Dec. 26, 1862. 

Foster Bakracks, New^bern, N. C. 
Dear Folks. 

I presume by this time you have got ray letter promising 
you an account of the expedition. 

I was so unfortunate as to come away from Worcester without com- 
mencing a diary, so I cannot give you so precise an account as I other- 
wise could, however, I'll do the best I can. Thursday morning we 



64 iiisTOKY or ro:\ri'ANY c, 

started before sunrise for the city, there all was a grand military bustle, 
troops of cavaliy, batteries of light and heavy guns, baggage wagons, 
hospital wagons, and ambulances all hurrying on in tlie same direction. 

After a period of two or three hours waiting the line was formed into 
something like order and we moved off, and so commenced the hardest 
ten days' work I ever went through or ever want to for that matter. 

We marched about 17 miles that day and camped where the rebels 
decamped the day before and the 51st slept on the ground for the first 
time. 

We were so terribly tired that after we got the rails together from a 
neighboring fence and the fires started we were ready to drop on 
our blankets and stay there, having eaten lightly of what was in our 
haversacks. We pulled our blankets over us and knew no more till we 
were roused before light to prepare for a forward march all that day. 
Our advance of cavalry were fighting or rather skirmishing with the, 
rebel pickets, capturing 6 in the forenoon and 14 in the afternoon. 
We came across a group of 5, two lay on the ground apparently dead 
though yet alive, the most wolfish expression to their ugly faces you 
can imagine, a little farther on another lay on the piazza of a house in 
the same condition, then we came to a prisoner standing beside the 
fence with one of the cavalry boys over him sitting on his horse with a 
cocked revolver of huge dimensions held in the neighboihood of the 
prisoner's head, the guard, a boy of about nineteen, never taking his 
eye from his charge, the rebel looking the very essence of malignity. 

The country we pas.sed through was like all the rest for miles around 
Newbern, low, level and sandy, no hills or stones. 

We marched about 13 miles that day turning off from the direct 
road to Kinston, the one the rebels expected us on, and taking a longer 
and harder road we came to a bridge that the rebels had destroyed and 
our engineers rebuilt it. 

On a level field our regiment encamped and that night, also the next 
one, being left to cover the retreat in case of a defeat or rather to hold 
the bridge until that time, as there were rebel cavalry all around. 

We spent the day in resting though in the morning the boys came 
into camp in such numbers as clearly showed that all were not resting, 
saying nothing of the small game, ducks, chickens, sweet potatoes, &c. 
Companies A and B were sent out on picket on arriving and did duty, 
till we marched again. 

We heard heavy firing all day in the direction of Kinston. 

Sunday morning at 7^ we started. Our first platoon guarded the 
prisoners, they were jjut in pairs to the number of 20 and then we were 



FIFTY-FIEST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 65 

put two on each side of thom. I had the pleasure of conversing with 
those who were talkative all day ; take them as a lot, we were told it 
was a very uncommonly well dressed and well looking lot by those that 
knew. I say they were the most miserable, disgusting, ill-favored 
senseless looking lot of human bipeds 1 ever set eyes on. With two 
exceptions only, there were several who professed to be peaceable farm- 
ers and by their own stories those that would talk were all very nice, 
peaceably disposed men, but I hate the sight of all of them. 

Our second platoon was in the rear as guard for the baggage wagons. 
In this order we marched to Kinston, some of the way we waded 
through water half way to our knees. We arrived at Kinston at 
half-past 8 in the evening, wet, and almost tired to death. 

As we passed into Kinston we went through the scene of the battle. 
A church standing on the edge of the town was turned into a hospital. 
On the bank of the liver lay two or three dead rebels that were wait- 
ing removal, under the bridge lay what remained of a rebel killed in a 
curious way; he was trying to burn the bridge with others pouring a 
barrel of turpentine over the bridge when a shell struck the barre, 
throwing it all over him. 

The fight was severe, ending in our forces driving the rebels through 
the town ; it was our first sight of a battle-field, trees torn and broken, 
ground torn up, everything showing that a fierce struggle had taken 
place. 

The next morning we started on again. After we passed back again 
over the bridge, that is when the whole force was over, the bridge was 
burned by the engineer. 

We took the road for Whitehall, it was a weary day, most of the 
boys threw away their blankets to keep up, Moses among the number 
but not I. I determined to cany mine as far as I went and so I did. 

We camped about 8 o'clock, started before light ne.\;t morning and 
about 9 o'clock the firing in our advance became heavy and grew more 
so till we arrived at the scene of the battle. 

We were ordered into position at once ; we supported Belger's Bat- 
tery of the 9th New York Artillery. 

We here drew up in line of battle with bayonets fixed and then were 
ordered to lie down which probably most of the regiment were very 
glad to do as the shot and shell were flying overhead and about us in 
a manner which would give a man the impression that the rebels were 
trying to hit somebody. Our regiment was concealed from the rebels' 
view by a strip of woods between us and the river, the battery we were 

6 



66 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

supporting was on our left, the rebels got the range of it so exactly that 
they took up a new position ; there were several hit in our regiment 
but no one hurt, one of our company had his dipper struck as it hnng 
on his haversack, the tin was dented almost double by the ball, which 
glanced and went into the ground. The grove on our left was com- 
pletely riddled with shot and shell. We lay theie on the ground about 
two hours and a half, the artillery playing hotly on both sides ; it was 
almost entirely an artillery battle though three of the regiments in our 
brigade were engaged ; they lost a good many killed and wounded, they 
iwere all brought within a few feet of where we lay. Finally their^ 
guns were silenced and we moved up the road to Goldsboro, having had 
some of the heaviest cannonading of any battle in this section of the 
country. Our regiment was highly complimented by Gen. Foster for 
its deportment and appearance. 

We marched about six miles and camped for the night. 

The next morning which was Wednesday our regiment was detailed 
as guard for the baggage train, so we were strung out along the road 
six to a wagon. It took all but Company C, so we marched behind, 
we went very slowly, when in the afternoon the wagons were all 
turned back, and back we marched. We halted and let them get ahead 
of us. 

I omitted to say we heard sharp firing in the distance all day, 
towards night it grew heavy suddenly. 

After dark we were ordered to turn back, the artillery, which had 
caught up with us, that is, a part of it, rushed back ; then we went, we 
marched awhile then stopped, and finally turned again and marched 
till we reached the original halting place and camped for the night. 
The men were almost exhausted, I never thought 'twas possible for a 
man to get so near dead and still march on. 

The reason we turned back was this, we had a severe battle there, 
burned a freight-house and two very important bridges, killed a great 
number of rebels and took some prisoners and defeated them. 

Well, when they sent out a white flag with two regiments, our in- 
fantry had left but our artillery was there, the guns were double-shotted 
and the colonel of the artillery rode up to meet them, when they got 
within about 200 yards they threw down their white flag and putting 
up their colors charged on our batteries, they being double-shotted with 
grape and canister then opened on them. At the first discharge it was 
said two-thirds of those two regiments fell to rise no more ; then it 
was we were ordered back to support those batteries, but they finished 
the work before we could get there. 



FIFTY-FIKST IIEGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 67 

We began our inarch home next morning, the expedition having 
accomplished all that was intended. We had a terrible hard march 
home, the road was lined with stragglers who had given out on the 
march. We had nothing occur of any vital interest on the way home 
which we reached Sunday morning. C. L. Matnard. 

New Berne, December 9, 1862. 

An order was read at dress parade to-night to be in readiness to 
march in thirty-six hours. The boys received it with cheers and are 
picking up their duds. 

10th. We have been very busy all day packing our knapsacks and 
putting them on board a schooner. We take with us only our over- 
coats and blankets. Spent the afternoon in the manual of arms under 
the Colonel. I feel in good spii'its and hope we shall to come off 
victorious, but perhai^s it may be the last as well as the first fight that 
I shall be in. The boys are burning a bonfire in honor of the start in 
the morning. 

11th. We have fifty rounds of cartridges and three days' rations 
given out to us. We were aroused out at four o'clock ; marched to 
New Berne and joined the expedition going towards Trenton. There 
are about twenty-five thousand men on the road, — a big thing. Our 
legs and feet are quite sore, but we are in good spirits. The houses 
all along the road are burned and no one is to be seen except negroes. 
We stopped and camped on a plantation about seventeen miles from 
New Berne and six from Trenton. Camp-fires are to be seen in every 
direction. The rebels have felled trees across the road for a mile up 
and the pioneers are at work clearing them out. We lay down to 
sleep in the open air. 

12th. Had a good sleep and when I awoke found the frost one- 
eighth of an inch thick on our blankets. The nights are cold but the 
days are warm as those of June. I saw Fred White and David 
Bigelow of the Twenty-fifth Mass. regiment and several others that I 
used to know. We started at half-past nine o'clock, marched along 
finding no enemies for some time, then a few rebel pickets showed 
themselves, we captured three and killed one. We found plenty of 
sweet potatoes and honey on the march. The rebels have blown up a 
bridge and our men are repairing it. Now we are over it and are 
encamped near it. • 

13th. The boys are busy scouting for plunder and are bringing in 
chickens, geese, sheep, pigs and a beef-creature. The cavalry brought 
in seventeen prisoners to night that were captured last night. 



()8 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

14th. Started on the march as rear guard to the baggage train. 
It was the hardest day's work I ever did. The weather was very 
warm and we marched sometimes on the double-quick. At three 
o'clock we came up with the main army : found a battle had been 
going on at Kinston all day. Our force drove the rebels across the 
river and beat them. We camped on the spot where the fight had 
been and in the morning found some dead bodies near. 

loth. Made our coffee and went over to the town where our regi- 
ment was ; started off with them ; marched about fifteen miles and put 
up for the night. Some of the men gave out here and went back to 
Kinston. 

16th. Marched about three miles and came upon a number of rebels at 
Whitehall. Our regiment was called to support the battery that was 
firing away. We were ordered to fix bayonets and lie down on our 
chests. The balls flew over our heads about as thick as I wanted to 
hear them. Several men in some of the other regiments were killed, 
but none in ours. After about an hour the firing ceased and we were 
marched on about twelve miles and camped in the woods. 

17th. Put in motion at an early hour and pushed on for Goldsboro. 
About two o'clock the wagons were all ordered to turn round. They 
said that our advance had torn up the railroad, burned the biidges and 
beat them all out, so that we might go back to New Berne. The boys 
were in high glee at this stage of things and went singing along. At 
about six o'clock we reached nearly the old spot where we camped the 
night before. As we were turning into a field to camp we were 
halted ; every one wondered what it was for. Soon we were ordered 
to march back towards Goldsboro. As our last artillery was booming 
at them a few rebels came out and fired on them. We were sent to 
cover them. However in about two hours we were back in the old 
camp as tired a set of boys as ever were. After supper we camped in 
the thick smoke and slept soundly. 

18th. Passed the old battle-field and saw where the cannon balls 
had cut off trees, some of them eight inches thick. Some bodies were 
not buried at this time. After a rest we marched on about six miles 
and camped. 

19th. Marched back through Kinston; stopped to rest about noon 
and were treated to honey by Lieutenant Bigelow ; went about eighteen 
miles. 

20th. The men were so worn out that we only marched about 
twelve miles. I did not get up to the regiment till they had been in 
camp sometime. Slept soundly all night. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. fi9 

21st. Started at sunrise with the hope of soon reaching our old 
camp. We went on as fast as our sore feet would allow and came in 
about noon, a sorry set of men. 

S. H. Fuller. 



New Bekne, Tuesday, December 21, 1862. 

I have just returned from the expedition which I spoke of in 
my last, stating we were going but knew not where. We started 
Thursday the 11th. Arose at 3 A. M. We received forty rounds of 
cartridges and tliree days' rations, our blouses and our coats which we 
wore, beside all our accoutrements and guns. This they call light 
marching order. We had our knapsacks packed the night before and 
each one took his own and threw it on board a schooner which lay 
ready at the wharf We formed in line at daybreak in front of the 
barracks ready to start. Before doing so Colonel Sprague addressed 
us in a few words. Feeling sorry that we had no more time to drill in 
the manual of arms, he said, "I wish you all to do your duty and to 
stand ; you are going where your toil, patience and courage will be 
tried." The Forty-third, Forty-fifth and Twenty-third Mass. regiments 
joined us and we marched with the music of the band to New Berne. 
We were there joined by artillery of forty pieces, twelve hundred 
cavalry and any quantity of infantry, swelling the number to nearly 
thirty thousand men. The train, I heard, reached nine miles. I 
assure you it was a splendid sight to behold. I thought of that pas- 
sage where it says " Terrible as an army with banners," as the regi- 
mental flags were all flying. The long train began to move. We 
travelled the first day about fifteen miles, and then camped in a large 
corn-field, the camp-fires brightening up the heavens. 

Dec. 9. We have received marching orders to be ready in thirty-six 
liours. The oixlers were read at dress-parade to-night. I am out in 
the open air helping cook ; we have got to cook all night. Have just 
had three days' rations of meat served out. I do not know where we 
are going, but the talk is to Richmond. They also say there are twenty 
thousand going from New Berne, the Eighth Mass. regiment is to stay 
to do guard duty. We are to start to-morrow night with our blankets 
and three days' ratiols in our haversacks. 

Friday, Dec. 12. We arose about five o'clock at the bugle, and 
started on our march ; we marched about twelve miles, making us 
twenty five miles from New Berne. Wc encamped in a corn-field 



70 HISTORY OF COMPANY 0, 

again and slept with our equipments all on, as we expected an attack 
from the enemy. Our cavalry took seventeen prisoners. 

Saturday, Dec. 13. Pleasant, quite warm day-times but very cold 
and chilly nights. The order came for us to remain where we were 
and guard a bridge which the rebels had burned, but which our folks 
had built again. We were to guard it until the entire train has passed 
over. Two cannon were planted to guard the bridge, an encounter 
being expected with the rascals. 

Sunday, Dec. 14. Pleasant weather. We started in the morning 
about seven; we marched all day, arrived at Kinston about nine in the 
evening, and took seventeen prisoners along with us. Our advance 
had a battle at this place in which 65 were killed and 182 wounded. 
We slept in the city to-night, but it was sad to know that so many had 
been killed and wounded. I went ^own to the bridge where the battle 
was ; saw two rebels lying on the bank dead and one burned to death 
while attempting to fire the bridge before we crossed, but he did not 
succeed. 

Monday, Dec. 15. Another beautiful morning to march. We were 
all ready to start at seven and marched very hard all day. We did 
not meet with any resistance on the way. 

Tuesday, Dec. 16. We commenced to march at nine. We had not 
gone more than two miles before we heard cannonading in our advance 
and about noon we arrived at the scene of action. We were ordered 
to cap our guns and half-cock. The noise was terrific. The rebels 
were on the other side of the river ; there was a short turn in the road 
and they expected to rake us as we wound round the hill. They tired 
first and by the time we arrived it was very severe. Our regiment 
was ordered to fix bayonets, expecting to charge. We could see them 
carrying out the dead and wounded on stretchers. The shell and shot 
flew all around us and we were ordered to lie down. None were 
wounded in our company though several were hit. One in our com- 
pany, near me in the ranks, had his tin cup flattened by a bullet. The 
Forty-third lost 20 men from one company. 

Wednesday, Dec. 17. Pleasant and quite warm. We marched in 
the rear to guard some baggage wagons. We heard firing in our 
advance and kept on marching until three P. M., when we were 
ordered to counter-march back to New Berne. We had gone about 
three miles when orders came for us to return, as the rebels had 
charged on our batteries and they wished infantry to support them. 
But soon word came that the rebels were repulsed with heavy loss, so 
we went back the second time, making four times we travelled over the 



I^IFTY-FIRRT REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 71 

same road. The expedition had done all that it was intended to do, so 
we returned. We did not go quite to Goldsboro, only to the railroad. 
We destroyed about four miles of the track and tore up all the bridges, 
so that they could not reinforce at Goldsboro and Richmond. We 
took 23 prisoners. 

Thursday, Dec. 18. We marched all day and I was very tired when 
night came. We er^camped about eight o'clock P. M., but did not 
sleep much. 

Friday, Dec. 19. We were again on the march bright and early 
and marched all day. 

Saturday, Dec. 20. I was not feeling well and did not keep up with 
the regiment. We camped about ten miles this side of New Berne. 

Sunday, Dec. 21. A beautiful Sabbath morning. We arrived at 
the old barracks at one o'clock P. M., all tired out, having walked one 
hundred and seventy miles in little less than ten days, with short 
allowance of rations at times, and exposed to the open air, 

C. A. Moore. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, December 24, 1862. 

We received orders to have three days' rations cooked, ready. That 
of course made me extra work, so I bad to sit up nearly all of two 
nights in order to get them ready. Our regiment left the barracks 
December 11, 4 A. M. We went down to the city where we joined 
the remainder of the expedition. No one had any idea where we were 
going to certainly, though there were as many rumors afloat as men in 
a regiment. I suppose our force consisted of 20,000 men and 60 
jiieces of artillery. That is not far from the real force as near as I am 
able to learn from Charlie, and his position enables him to speak pretty 
correctly. The first night 1 suppose we marched about 13 miles from 
the city. Friday we marched about 15 miles. We used to start 
about as soon as it was light in the morning, though the advance 
would start by 4 o'clock. Each day our brigade would be assigned a 
different position in the line, which would of course cause our time for 
starting and halting to vary. 

Saturday we lemained behind as a rear guard (our regiment), while 
the others went on to Kinston. During the night 22 rebels were sent 
in, taken by our cavalry scouts. 

Sunday morning we started for Kinston, understood there was to be 
a fight thei'e. We had the prisoners to guard. I marched beside 



72 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

them all day. They are the vouf^hest-looking specimens of humanity 
that I ever met with. We found upon reaching Kinston that the place 
was ours. We lost some 45 men in killed and wounded. We 
delivered up our prisoners to the Provost-Marshal : they were ])aroled 
the next morning, as well as a number taken in the battle at Kinston. 
The next morning we left there, burning the bridge over the Neuse 
that the rebels might not follow. 

Tuesday we were in the advance. As we neared Whitehall firing 
commenced ahead. We were ordered to cap our guns and find our 
places in the ranks. Then the boys thought that it looked a little like 
a fight. We soon came up with the artillery, which was engaged 
with the enemy. We formed in line of battle and marched to a place 
near the artillery. The General seeing we were in an exposed position 
changed our line and ordered us to lie down. Soon after one of our 
boys had his dipper struck by a spent ritie ball, denting it considerably. 
The shot and shell flew thick and fast all around us and just over our 
heads. Wo lay there about two hours, expecting every moment to be 
called into action. The firing of artillery was terrific for the two hours 
that we were there. The enemy's sharp-shooters picked off a member 
of the Forty-fifth regiment. Volunteers were called for from the 
Twenty-fifth to attend to them. Charlie was one of the volunteers 
and they soon silenced them. We were successful there, though there 
was very little of the infantry engaged. Many of our boys went to 
sleep while all this was going on, as they were very tired. I did not 
feel as I expected ; was not much troubled about it, though of course 
not indiff(erent to the dangers around us. We were all bound to do our 
duty. After the fight we immediately resumed our march toward 
Goldsboro. 

The next day our regiment guarded the baggage trains in the rear. 
I was detailed to forage that day. I went quite to the front just after 
the fight commenced there, though not in time to see the rebels, as some 
of the boys did. Soon after noon the work was done, i. e., drove the 
rebels across the river, burned two bridges, and tore up several miles of 
lailroad. We turned around about two o'clock to retrace our march, 
having accomplished the object of our expedition. Notwithstanding 
the boys were awfully tired they turned about with light hearts. 
Towards night firing commenced in our rear, and just as our regiment 
was going into camp they were ordered back. I tell you it was a hard 
one, but I was bound to go as long as ray legs would cairy me. After 
marching three miles at a fast gait we were told to return to camp. 
There was one battery that remained on the field after everything else 



FIFTY-Fir.ST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 73 

had turned about. The rebels, having received reinfoicements, thought 
it was alone and they would take it, so a large force charged on it. 
Just as they neared it we opened on them with "grape and canister" 
and mowed them down in heaps. They broke and ran. This caused 
all the fuss. That brings us to Thursday night. Friday and Satur- 
nay we marched tremendously, I suppose not far from twenty five 
miles per day. The roads were lined with stragglers. Saturday night 
we encamped about 5 miles out of New Berne, as the Colonel thought 
it would not pay to go in with part of his regiment. Only ten of 
Company C came in with the Fifty-first that night. I was one of the 
ten. I did not fall out during the whole trip ; whenever the regiment 
halted I was with them. How now about folks that said "George never 
would stand it?" We got home about noon on Sunday, having marched 
about 175 miles in a little more than ten days. I threw away ray 
woollen blanket one day ; should not do it again. I send a Confeder- 
ate postage-stamp taken in a house near Goldsboro. Every one was 
gone except the negroes. Charlie got home all right, though I have 
not seen him since. I came right into the kitchen on getting home and 
am here now. Have to work like forty, as the boys are awful hungry. 

G. M. Kendall. 

"Somewhere," Dec. 13, 1862. 

Well, auntie, we are in for it now. Last Tuesday night at dress 
parade we had orders to be in readiness to march in 36 hours and punc- 
tual to the moment we started for parts to us unknown, and since then 
we have been on the march most of the time. Three days' rations 
were prepared and the knapsacks were packed and we were ordered to 
march under "light marching orders," knapsacks going by water. 

Our light load consists of our rubber and woollen blankets, rations, 
canteen, gun, sabre and 50 rounds of cartridges, and altogether we 
found them not so very light but by the time we got into the city most 
decidedly heavy ; our guns only weigh twelve and a half pounds. 
After we got to the city we were obliged to wait several hours to form 
the diflferent brigades, cavalry, artillery and infantry. Then we com- 
menced our march and I tell you, auntie, you can have no idea of what 
a march is. I know I never had. In a scorching sun with our equip- 
ments dragging down on our shoulders and the continual tramp, tramp 
forwaid for hours with no rest and then only for a few minutes ; it is 
terrible lean assure you, and many of the men dropped right down, side 
of the road, but the men of our Co. marched on without faltering. I 



74 msToftY OF coMPAinr c, 

never fell behind once, but when it came night my shoulders ached as 
if a knife was run through them. We marched till quite late and at 
last we came in sight of the camp-fires which the advance had started, 
and I think I never beheld a more welcome sight and it was, too, 
a sight grand in the extreme ; as far as the eye could reach fires glowing 
and the men as thick as could be, some stretched out on the ground 
and others taking their suppers. There were in all four brigades, nearly 
20,000 men, almost as many as the whole population of Worcester. 

When we arrived at the camping ground we were so tired that we 
dropped right down on the ground too tired to stir ; then we had to be 
oft' for wood for our fire, get our supper of hard-tack and cgfiee and get to 
bed about ten, stiflf and tired, the nights so cold we can scarcely sleep 
at all. Up in the morning and oft" again before suniise and so on from 
day to day. Our first day's march was rather monotonous, long- 
stretches of pine woods, mud puddles and so on, not hardly a house or 
anything else of interest. 

The second day after getting beyond our line of pickets our march 
was a little more varied. Our cavalry had some skirmishes with the 
enemy's pickets in which some of the latter were captured and a few 
killed. As we passed by the houses where the killed and wounded 
were lying on the ground we began to more fully realize the nature of 
the conflict in which we were engaged. Our second day's march 
brought us to the spot where we, the Fifty-first, are now encamped 
near a bridge which we are to guard and we also have 20 prisoneis, and 
sorry-looking specimens they ai'e. 

These are the first rebels I have seen, no two dressed alike : only that 
they are all dressed in a kind of dirty white goods much resembling 
their complexion generally. W, H. Clapp. 

Foster Barracks, Dec. 22, 1862. 

We are back again all safe and sound from the expedition of which 
you have imdoubtedly heard the particulars and the hard time we have 
had of it. 

You remember what a cheerless time we had on board the Merrimac, 
well that was bliss compared to this. 

I heard many a man say " give me Iha Merrimac before this." I 
expected to have sent you a letter on the expedition but was too tired 
every night to think of anything but to get my supper and to sleep as 
quick as possible. 

We staid at the bridge where I wrote my first note one day and 
then resumed our march, reached Kinston Sunday night where the 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 75 

battle had been raging during the day while we were marching from 
the bridge. 

Our forces were in the place, which we found to be a very pretty 
little village. We started again in the morning, making our fifth day 
out from New Berne. 

We had marched but a few hours when we began to hear the 
boom of cannon, repeated at short intervals ; soon it came faster and 
faster, then the artillery came lumbering up through the column from 
the rear to get their guns in position, then the cavalry would come 
cantering along. All the time we were marching steadily on and the 
noise of cannon growing louder and louder; soon we came to a halt 
and were ordered to cap and half-cock our pieces, then we began to 
think we were in for a fight surely. 

We soon reached the field where they were discharging the big guns 
and after getting in "battle array" were ordered down flat on the 
ground and thei'e you may rest assured we staid pretty close ; though 
I think I felt no fear I do not care to get nearer the enemy then I was 
then. The continuous discharge of artillery and musketry made it a 
continual roar, such as you hear just before a thunder-storm sometimes 
in the summer. 

We could hear the balls whizzing through the air and see the shells 
explode; one ball struck the dipper of one of our men, that is our Com- 
pany, this was the most serious wound in the Company at that time. 
While we were at Kinston one of our men was shot through the hand 
by a rebel while he was at the river getting water, our man struck him 
with his sabre and the man ran ; last seen of him. 

It was a sad and sickening sight to see the field after the battle, 
though probably a comparatively small one. 

I saw scenes too horrible to be described. 

After leaving Whitehall, the place where the battle was fought, we 
made a rapid march of ten miles, and the next day was the fight at 
Goldsboro, this we were not engaged in, but we were used for a 
guard to the baggage train. 

We heard the firing nearly all day. After we had got within a few 
miles of the fighting ground we were ordered back and after marching 
to our previous nights encampment we were ordered to march 
directly back again to the fight, which, in our tired condition, was any- 
thing but pleasing, but about we turned and after marching about 
three miles it was found to be all right and then we had to march clear 
back three miles and it did seem a little too bad. I have not time to 
write a quarter of what I want to, but I must close now. 

W. H. Clapp. 



76 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

Dec. 22, 1862. 

We liave just returned from a very fatiguing expedition, of over a 
hundred and seventy miles through an enemy's country, had three 
battles and whipped the rebels in good style, all of which has been 
done within ten days. Our first fight was at Kinston Avhere the enemy 
were very strongly posted on the opposite side of Kinston bridge, 
having batteries which completely commanded it. 

The Fifty-first was ordered to hold a bridge about 17 miles this side 
of Kinston, which we did for one day and then pushed on to join the 
main column. 

We entered Kinston at night after a very hard march through mud 
and water and were right glad to spread our blankets on the ground, 
and gain strength for the next day's march. 

Our next fight was at a place called Jericho, here also was a bridge 
which we burnt, here we had quite a smart fight, the rebels had the 
advantage of position as they always do, but after four hours firing they 
retreated, we were unable to follow on account of the bridge being 
burnt. Although the Fifty-first was not in the tiiickest of the battle, 
yet the shot and shell were near enough to be very unpleasant. We 
were expecting every moment to be ordered to relieve some one of the 
other regiments. 

Only one of our boys was wounded and that slightly by a spent ball. 
We had some very narrow escapes, a ball passed between myself and 
a man one pace in front of me and struck a 'man on the back at my 
left. 

You can have very little idea of the solemnity of a battle. 

The smoke of the battle had hardly cleared away before we were 
ordered to march. 

We marched about 17 miles and then camped for the night. 

The next day we started for Goldsboro ; our advance reached Golds- 
boro bridge which our artillery destroyed ; here we had quite a sharp 
fight mostly artillery of which we had about 60 pieces in the whole 
division. During the latter part of the battle the rebels crossed the 
county bridge which lies above Goldsboro bridge and attempted to 
charge upon our artillery. They were met by a discharge of grape 
and canister from some of the largest pieces, 32-pounder8, which were 
double-shotted ; those who witnessed this discharge say that it fairly 
mowed the rebel ranks, and they were driven. 

In the meantime General Foster informed us that the object of this 
expedition was accomplished and we were ordered back to New Berne. 



rirTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 77 

We had got about six miles on our way towards home when the 
order came for the first brigade to "about" and again march towards 
Goldsboro which we did with sore feet and heavy eyelids, for it was 
night and we had just arrived at our former camping-ground and were 
anticipating a night's rest. We marched back three miles when we 
met the artillery and were told that the fight was all over, at the same 
time we received orders to "about" and camp for the rest of the night. 
The next day we started again for home — New Berne. 

We passed our old battle-ground, Jericho. I picked up a rebel gun 
at this place, on our march towards Goldsboro ; it had the mark of a 
round bullet on the stock ; I loaded it and carried it some six miles and 
then threw it away for I had enough to carry without it. 

Passing Kinston leaving the wounded on board a small gunboat we 
pushed on towards New Berne, camped within 12 miles of that place 
on the edge of a fine forest of pines. 

The next day we cut stakes and marched to New Berne, arriving 
there at about 12 o'clock pretty well played out and not very anxious 
for another expedition for at least a month. We are now waiting for 
further orders and I have no doubt they will come soon enough. " Nine 
months' men" did not come out here to do garrison duty and we have 
just begun to realize it. I only wish that the Fifty-first regiment 
could have marched down Main Street on the morning that they 
arrived in New Berne, our mothers would not have known their soldier- 
sons ; such a dirty looking set of men you never saw and probably 
never will. Those who think that a soldier's life is always gay should 
have followed us on that hard march to Goldsboro through the beauti- 
ful sandy and muddy soil of "Ye beautiful North Carolina." 

G. E. Barton. 

New Berne, December 22, 1862. 

I now write to let you know that I have been on a march of about 
170 miles, had 4 battles, but the Fifty-first was under fire but once 
and I was detailed to stay in the rear to guard a rebel prisoner that 
we captured on our march. 

Our first battle was at Kiustou and it was a pretty hard fight I can 
tell you. The Tenth Conn, lost about 75 killed and wounded, the 
Ninth N. J. a large number, Fifty-first Mass., Company C, John 
Rich was shot through the left hand after the fight at Kinston as he 
was going down to the river to get some water, he drew his sabre and 
struck the rebel who shot him on the shoulder and staggered him, and 
got a flute that he dropped. 



78 HISTORY or COMPANY O, 

Now for a short tale of the second battle in which the Fifty-lirst 
regiment was called upon to stand fire of the rebels, and they did it up 
in fine style I tell you. We went to the field as if we thought we 
were bullet-proof, and were ordered to fix bayonets to be ready to 
resist a charge ona battery from the rebels. After a short time we 
were ordered to lie down flat, as we were in a dangerous place, as the 
shells and bullets flew very fast. 

The second night the Fifty-first regiment was halted about 5 
o'clock and left to guard abridge which the rebels had torn up, so that 
the pioneers had to build it over for our troops to get across. We 
had to stay at the bridge two nights and one day and were then 
ordered to join the rest of the train, which we did by a hard march 
of 18 miles on a fine Sabbath, December 14, to Kinston. 

Now for the third fight at Goldsboro, which we did not have a 
chance to see anything of, as we were detailed as rear guard to the 
whole train of baggage-wagons and prisoners. The cavalry in 
advance of us went up to Goldsboro at night and tore up about seven 
miles of the railroad track and burnt the bridges. The next day the 
army advanced on the rebels and gave them all they asked of us. 

I will now close my war story and tell some of my camp life as it 
daily occurs. We got back to camp, called Foster Camp, Sunday, 
December 21, a set of dirty, lame and tired boys I tell you. I stood 
the inarch right well, I can tell you, for a boy that never did anything 
of the kind before. I fell out of the ranks the first day, but caught 
up with them at night after they had been in camp about an hour. 
We had to sleep outdoors every night with nothing over us but our 
blankets. The fifth day's march I threw away my woollen blanket to 
keep up and so did about two-thirds of the boys also. 

E. Stratton. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, N. C, December 23, 1862. 
Dear Parents at Home : 

Tuesday night at dress-parade, December 9, we 
were all surprised to receive orders to pack our knapsacks and be 
ready to march in 36 hours, with all the other regiments in New 
Berne except the Eighth Mass., which was to stay for guard duty. 

Wednesday afternoon our knapsacks were all on board two small 
sail boats on the Trent river, we being lucky enough to have them 
carried for us. We had a long battalion drill in the afternoon and 
after that I worked till past 7 o'clock loading the boat, then ate my 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS, VOLS. 79 

supper and went to bed. About 12 o'clock we were all routed up to 
receive our ammunition, which occupied about an hour, then we went 
to bed again. At 3 o'clock we were once more called up to march, 
leaving the barracks about 4^ o'clock and reaching New Berne about 
light, where we were obliged to stand till about 10 o'clock for the 
advance of the army to form. You can imagine that I was some tired 
about that tims, and I thought I had as lief go home and go to bed 
as to start on a long march, but that would not do, we must go ahead 
tired or not. Our army consisted of four brigades containing about 
20,000 men, under Genei'al Foster, which with all its baggage, artillery 
and cavalry made a grand appearance and was well worth seeing. 
After all were ready we started and marched 17 miles that day and 
encamped on an open corn-field about 9 o'clock, the advance reach- 
ing there about two hours before we did and those behind coming in 
till after 2 o'clock. As fast as we arrived at the field we commenced 
building fires the whole length of the regiment, which made the field 
look like one body of fire. We were obliged to sleep on the ground 
for the first time, and not being used to it I slept rather cold. As 
soon as it was light we were off again. The rebels had tried the day 
before to prevent our advancing by cutting down trees and laying 
them across the road for more than half a mile, but they did not 
trouble us much as we had them all cleared away before morning. 
A little beyond this obstruction we found one of their deserted camps, 
their fires ^till burning. After this, skirmishing could be heard nearly 
all the time, and in many of the houses that we passed lay a wounded 
rebel, a little farther on was one shot in the hand and taken prisoner, 
being closely guarded by one of our cavalry who kept a loaded pistol 
pointed at him till the rear guard came up. More than half of the 
houses have been burnt some time since, and most of those remaining 
have been cleared of their contents. We have had all the sweet 
potatoes we could eat, besides we have had some nice honey, mutton, 
poultry, beef and pork, although it was against orders to take them, 
but we were kept half-starved on the march, living on nothing but 
hard bread and half rations at that ; if we could liave had any meat 
we should have felt stronger, but as it is we feel pretty well worn 
out, so when we could kill a " fresh meat" we were not slow to do it. 
The second night we encamped on a field on Beaver Creek and 
remained there two nights, all but our regiment going on a little 
farther in order to reach Kinston early the next day, where they had 
a severe engagement. We reached there about 9 o'clock December 
14, just after the battle ; crossed a long bridge and camped with the 



80 HISTORY OF COIMPANY C, 

rest of the array. The next moruiDg a,s we re-crossed the bridge we 
found it had been fired by the rebels and that our troops had a hard 
time to save it. 

Next we went to Whitehall, there to encounter another battle. 
Our regiment was ordered to support a battery and were obliged to 
lie flat on the ground, the balls whizzing over them, striking a tin cup 
of one of our company. That day I was not with tUe regiment, my 
feet were so sore 1 could hardly walk. From there we started for 
Goldsboro, when we came within six miles orders came to turn around 
the teams, when a few of them had turned aj"ound they were ordered 
not to ; in a few minutes they were ordered to march back to the 
camp of the night before, and those ahead of us commenced to 
come back, saying the expedition was ended, that they had a fight 
about three miles from Goldsboro ; had burned their bridge. This 
was a hard march, for the men were already tired, and when they 
marched about 3 miles they were again ordered to return. This is 
the way orders run most of the time ; first we are ordered to and then 
not to. Since then we have marched straight home, and glad enough 
we were to see our old barracks again. I rode part of the way. 

C. W. Haven. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, December 25, 1862. 

We left here Thursday morning at 5 o'clock and got back in ten 
days. It was a very hard march. We went about 17o miles, 
fought three battles, took about 500 prisoners and cleaned them out 
every time. 

Our first battle was at Kinston ; they met us on this side of the 
bridge ; had batteries arranged so as to rake us terribly if we had 
been fools enough to have gone the road they expected we would. 
We took another road which was 15 miles out of our way. After 
fighting about 2 hours they tried to burn the bridge and the man who 
set the fire was shot and burned in his own fire. It was a shocking 
sight. He was burned to a crisp. As soon as they found they 
could not whip or fool our general they ran through the town and 
planted a battery one and a half miles from the town. Our cavalry 
made a charge in the night and took the whole thing, seven pieces. 
We did not see the enemy until we got to Whitehall. Kinston is a 
very small town, not half as large as New Worcester. We camped 
in the centre of the town that night. We foraged all over the town, 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 81 

cleaned out everything aud appropriated to our own use. I was very 
tired that day, as half of our company had prisoners to guard and the 
other half had a baggage train to guard. The ground where the battle 
was fought was covered with killed and wounded of both sides. One 
lay on the ground all night, his face shot away. He breathed very 
hard and it was a shocking sight. These rebels are the meanest- 
looking men I ever saw ; they wear no uniforms, and the only way 
you can distinguish a private from an officer is by a little strip of 
gold baud on the officer's collar, otherwise they all look alike. They 
have three lieutenants in their service to each company. 

The next day we started about 5 A. M. A great many boys fell 
out, among them were Charles Hey wood and Maynard. The most of 
us threw away our blankets and stood it, though it was the hardest 
day's march we had on our trip. I never was so near played out as I 
was that night, many of the boys fainted in the ranks when we stopped. 
It was very hot, not a breath of air stirring all day, and when it came 
night the heavy dew fell and not more than half the boys had 
blankets. I managed to get a horse-blanket and four of us slept 
under that. I thought I never should stir from that place again I 
was so tired, but the next morning 1 felt better, so two of us started 
on ahead with the Ninth New Jersey regiment. They led the advance. 
We kept with them until the battle of Whitehall began ; they, the 
Ninth, drove the rebels in and we waited for our regiment to come 
up, fell in and marched on to the battle-field, which was only a fiMV 
rods off. The battle began about 10 A. M. and lasted till 2^ P. M. 
When our regiment marched they fixed bayonets and laid under fire 
during action, supporting a battery. Some three or four were taken 
sick as soon as they heard the bullets fly and fell out ; they are under 
arrest now and will be court-martialed. The cannon balls from the 
rebels cut off trees the size of my body. One does not know much 
what a battle is until he has seen one. It tries one's nerves to see 
wounded men brought to the rear on stretchers, the blood all over 
them. After the battle was over we marched till 8 P. M. aud 
encamped. I found a blanket and we slept quite warm that night. 
You must recollect that we lay on the bare ground with a very heavy 
dew falling all night and it is impossible to keep warm ; we keep as 
close to fires as we can. The next day we had the whole baggage- 
train to guard. Four of us went where we wanted to ; we killed hens, 
turkeys, filled one wagon with sweet potatoes, and if any wine or 
applejack was around we took it. Applejack is about the only 
7 



82 HISTORY OF COMPANY C. 

liquor they use here and it is really good for a tired man. After vvhip- 
piug the rebels we turned to go back vvlien they came down with a 
flag of truce, and when they got near our batteries they pulled down 
their white flag. Order was sent the whole length of the line to 
countermarch to whip them again. We had just got into camp aud 
were very tired, but we went back 4 miles when the order came to go 
back again to camp, which we did willingly. Our artillery poured 
three rounds into the rebels so as to clean them out. After that we 
marched as fast as possible for New Berne, where we arrived Sunday 
forenoon, tired enough. Saturday when we camped only ten men 
came in with the company, the rest fell out. 

H. G. LONGLKY. 



POLLOCKSYILLE MARCH. 



January 17, 1863. 

We formed in line at 6 o'clock and stood around till 9, when we 
started off and marched along quite nicely till almost noon, when we 
halted for half an hour or more, then started on again and went quite 
fast till most 3, when we halted for an hour. The way in the fore- 
noon was dry and sandy, some hard-wood trees, the forests generally 
looking very well for this place. This afternoon the road has been 
muddy, like a hog-pen mud. 

January 18. We marched about an hour after the halt yesterday 
afternoon and went into camp on a large open field at or near what I 
suppose to be Pollocksville. There are 3 or 4 white houses, very 
good indeed for North Carolina, with out-buildings around them. 
The road leading to this encampment, and on which we came, was 
intersected by another running at right angles with it. A little to the 
left of the field was a road running in the same direction that we 
came, this ran beside a swamp and the rebels had cut down trees and 
fallen them across the road to obstruct our way, but they were soon 
removed by the pioneers and colored corps. After we had got nicely 
fixed for the night, our supper cooked and eaten, we were ordered to 
go out on picket duty. We were somewhat disappointed, as we had 
got very nicely fixed with a good fire,, and my negro had fixed a place 
for us to sleep by putting a board to break off the wind from the 
head and one on each side and then got a lot of cotton which they 
got not far off in a building, but we did not need it. We went off 
on the I'oad running beside the camp and the swamp, half a mile or 
more, and I was left with the second platoon as reserve, a short dis- 
tance from the first platoon, who were stationed farther on in four 
different posts. It was very cold and the ground was quite wet. It 
was so cold that the ground froze as much as two inches deep. We 
were allowed to have but a very small fire, and none but the 
reserve could have any. I did not allow them to have any till after 
12, and then it was so cold I told them they might have a small one. 



84 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

I slept a very little between 12 and 3, and this morning we were 
relieved l)y a body of cavalry, when we returned to our old camp- 
ground, and I am so sleepy now that I can hardly keep awake to 
write. 

January 19, INIonday. Our negroes have built us a nice place to 
sleep. They have got three doors and set one up edgewise at the 
head and one on either side and covered them over with boards, and 
have got a lot of cotton for our bed and we have a very nice place. 
They have also built themselves one adjoining ours. We slept a 
good deal through the day, but I went out long enough to go and 
have a good wash, also to look around a little. There are some ten or 
twelve houses here, very good ones, and quite a number of smaller 
ones, some four or five places where there used to be stores and one 
post-office. The road where most of the buildings were was lined 
with shade-trees, mostly red cedar. One house that I visited set back 
from the road a number of rods, the road leading to it being lined 
with trees and shrubs, the front yard laid out in good taste and all 
the out-buildings in good style. Ever3'thing had the appearance of 
being a very nice place for North Carolina, but everything was all 
torn up, every door and window taken off and everything in or about 
the house was destroyed by our people, and before we left it was set 
on fire, as were two others before, and burned, although it was 
strictly against the orders. I wish that everything there and every 
other place we pass through might be left in ashes. 

Tuesday, .Tan. 20, 1863. Well, about noon yesterday the battalion, 
or all but five companies, came in from Trenton. They went up 
there Sunday aud we and four other companies of our regiment staid 
as I have stated. On their return those of us who were there wei'e 
ordered to fall in and we started off for Young's Station, as we were 
told. We marched off for an hour or so very finely, indeed, when we 
halted for more than hour, then started again aud went on quite fast 
till about sundown, when we were fired on ; we halted, fronted, faced 
around and marched back a mile or so, halted and stood around an 
hour or so, then we were ordered into the lot to lie down for the 
night on our arms without any fire ; before we all got down orders 
came for our camp to fall in and we were started on again back the 
same way which we had just retreated over. After going about 
one-half mile we were halted again by the boss of the bridge builders, 
who said he thought it was not safe to do it to-night (build the 
bridge), so we countermarched aud went back to our former place, and 
as the cavalry had come up and had built their fires we were allowed 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 85 

to build fires, so we made some coffee, got warm and laid down for 
the night. As we got back the men were so afraid that they should 
not get their rails that they would give no attention at all and the 
Captain got about out of patience, as well as myself, and we had to 
scold rather more than was pleasant to either of us, or the men. 

At half-past six o'clock this morning we were ordered to fall in at 
once, but we were just eating breakfast and so we were allowed fifteen 
minutes, at which time we were ready and started off with Lieutenant- 
Colonel Studley for the bridge that we were to guard while it was 
being built last night. One-half of the company crossed the river on 
the sleepers that were left, under command of the Captain and picketed 
for some distance on each side of the road. I remained the opposite 
side with the other half of the company, leaving six as a reserve 
and deployed the rest on each side of the river and along its banks. 
The river is 30 or 40 feet wide aud I should think it might be 3 to 8 
feet deep, and running quite fast ; one of the pleasantest streams that 
I have seen in North Carolina. After the bridge was repaired we 
were called in and came over this side and stationed a quarter of a 
mile from the bridge by the Colonel, aud staid an hour or more when 
he came and ordered me to leave half of my men under charge of a 
sergeant and take the remainder further along and station a part on 
the side of the road and part off beside the wood, and here I am as 
comfortable as can be. There is a large open field here, upon the 
right is a very fine grove of pines, on the left beyond the field through 
the woods we hear geese, pigs and children. A large lot of cavalry 
have been going past and I think the rebels have all skedaddled. I 
went about one-eighth of a mile further along to where the Captain 
with the first platoon is stationed. Some of the men had just come 
in from a scout, bringing in some books and telling some pleasing 
stories about what they saw. I started off with four or five of the men 
aud went down to the plantation. There were two white women, one 
an old lady, the other her daughter, about 18 years. There were any 
number of negroes, all very much pleased, thinking they were free, 
and said they were going to New Berne with us, and were packing up 
all of their things. They gave me some sweet potatoes and would 
have given me meal but they had given away everything they could 
spare to carry it in. It began to rain quite hard when I started to 
go and it rained all the time while I was gone, so that I was very 
wet when I got back. We had a good fire but the wind blew hard 
aud drove the rain through the shelter and we could not keep dry any 
way. Between 9 and 10 it rained in torrents and the wind blew very 



86 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

hard, and in spite of all we conld do we were as wet as drowned rats. 
It ceased raining before 12 and with the large fire of rails we snc- 
ceeded in getting partially dry, so that we had a nap before morning. 
On the morning of the 21st we started for home. During the night 
over 100 negroes with all their effects came into the Captain's station, 
their little all loaded on carts, with the small children stuck in between 
men and women in all manner of costumes that were ludicrous. 
There were five carts with mules, one with a horse and five yokes of 
oxen on carts and two mules without any carriage. The captain on 
one of them went at the head of the train till we got up to the bridge 
where the regiment now is. As we passed we created much fun ; 
after crossing our company halted, the negroes went on and we 
had a box of hard-tack served out to us. The regiment was formed 
and passed, and we fell in the rear and went on back to Pollocksville. 
The rain made the roads very muddy, they did not seem much as 
they did when we went down. We arrived at Pollocksville at noon 
and there waited an hour for the colored train to pass in order to get 
them over the bridge so that we could destroy it, when we passed on. 
It is cold and rains a little occasionally ; the negroes keep up closely ; 
the roads are very muddy indeed. It is very hard walking, but we 
are going home and so we tug along. Arrived home at half-past six 
o'clock. • 

J. O. Bemis. 

Sunday, January 25, 18G3. 

I have just returned from an expedition which lasted four days. 
Sunday, 11th ult., we had marching orders read to us, with the For- 
ty-third and Forty-fifth, to be ready to march in forty-eight hours. 
Wednesday came, and we had orders to be ready the next morning to 
start at 6 o'clock. The baggage train was near our camp, all drawn 
up ready to march at a moment's notice. We had to get up at 4 
o'clock for roll-call, and to get our things ready. We marched out, 
formed regimental line ready to start. It was dark and cloudy, rain- 
ing slightly. We staid there twenty minutes, when the order came 
to go back to our respective barracks and be ready to start at 7.30 
o'clock. They did not call us out again until 10 o'clock. This time 
we expected to go, but were disappointed when the order came to go 
back to barracks and await further orders. I passed that day and 
also the next loafing around. 

Saturday, 17th. We had orders to fall in to march at 6 o'clock, 
the Forty-fifth ahead. Fifty-first in the centre and Forty-third on the 



FITTY-riRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 87 

left. We stinted on the march at 7.30 o'clock towards Trenton. 
The orders were if a soldier was caught foraging he would be shot. 
We had a very easy march of about thirteen miles, halting at Pol- 
locksville. I brought some rails to make a fire ; after that I thought 
I would go off from camp and see what I could find to eat ; so I 
buckled on my sabre and started, — a fig for the orders if I could get 
something to eat. I had not gone more than two rods from camp 
before I heard the squealing of a pig. I thought now I will have 
something to eat ; so I ran up to a fellow that had stumbled on to a 
pig and was holding him while another fellow was hammering 
him on the head. I came running up, told them I guessed that 
would finish him, at- the same time drawing my sabre. The men 
belonged to the Foity-fifth. He took my sabre and stuck the pig, 
skinned him, and gave me four of the ribs and one of the hind legs — 
about three pounds in weight. I put the meat under my coat and 
went back to camp. I had just picked out my place to sleep when 
the order came to fall in for whiskey and prepare for picket. I assure 
you it was a damper, for it was very cold. We were not allowed fires, 
because it would attract the enemy to us. 

Sunday, 18th. We had orders this morning to return back to 
camp at PoUocksville. We met the cavalry and Forty-fifth and 
Forty-third, and the City Guards and Co. E of the Fifty-first, going 
towards Trenton. The other five companies were left to guard Pol- 
locksville. Co. D relieved us on picket. I spent the day roaming 
around PoUocksville. 

Monday, 19th. I went out foraging; came across George, cap- 
tain's servant. I asked him if he had seen any pigs ; said he had not. 
He consented to go with me. A few minutes later I saw five pigs in 
the woods. I shouted to George that I had found some. We chased 
after them and got out of the woods, when a man sprung out of some 
btishes and nabbed one of them ; George cornered the others and 
made them run right towards me. I threw my sabre at one of them, 
and it went right through his back, stopping him. I then struck 
him over the head, killing him. Another one coming up, I killed 
him. I got Allen, lieutenant's servant, and George to skin them for 
me. I told them if they would carry them into camp for me I would 
give them one. I did that so as to blind the captain ; he, of course, 
would think that the negroes killed them. George made believe give 
one to me. I had just got my pig hung up to cool when the expedi- 
tion which went to Trenton hove in sight. The orders came for us to 
fall in, with accoutrements on. We thought we were going home, so 



88 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

I cut up my pig and put him in my haversack. We went to a place 
called Young's Cross Roads. Colonel Sprague mistook the place and 
got down to a place where there used to be a bridge. The rebel 
pickets fired five or six shots at us. but did not wound anybody. The 
colonel right-about-faced us and marched to the Cross Roads. After 
we had got all of our traps oft', the order came for Co. C to fall in and 
go down to White Oak Creek to protect the pioneers while tliey would 
be building a bridge. After we had got almost down there tlie order 
came for us to go back, because it had been decided it could not be 
done then. We marched back to the regiment and staid there that 
night. 

Tuesday, 20th. Early this morning our company received orders 
to go out skirmishing, and to protect the pioneers while they would 
be building the bridge across the creek. The first platoon was to go 
ahead and act as skirmishers, while the second platoon were stretched 
along the river to prevent the enemy from getting near the pioneers and 
from getting in the rear of the first platoon. After standing here two 
hours, we were ordered across the river three-quarters of a mile, where 
we stood that day and night. 

Wednesday, 21st. It rained in torrents last night. I waked up 
once and found myself in a puddle of water, and a stream running 
through the top of our shanty. A negro came in at our outpost about 
8 o'clock. Captain told him to go back and tell all those to come 
that wanted to. Before morning there were one hundred and fifty 
negroes, from one month to seventy-seven years old. We marched 
into New Berne that day, the distance of twenty-four miles. I never 
saw such tough marching, mud all the way and sides, too. Some of 
the way I had to wade through mud and water a foot and a half deep. 

C. F. Pierce. 

New Berne, January 22, 1863. 

Our regiment was sent out nine miles on the Wilmington road, 
where our company started about 125 contrabands on the road to 
freedom via New Berne. 'Twas the most comical sight you can 
imagine, that string of contrabands ; for instance, imagine an ox cart 
of two-wheeled dimensions drawn either by a pair of scraggy oxen or 
a fractious snarly mule, filled to the top with bed-clothes and the 
blackest, leanest and most withered toothless old crone sitting on the 
apex, surrounded by anywhere from four to a dozen little pickaninnies, 
she smoking a black stump of a pipe, with a big fellow seated on the 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 89 

tongue eugagecl iu bestowing sundry very stunning whacks and 
execrations on the unlucky beasts ; behind come the rest of the family, 
a stout young woman with a tub, bundle or basket on her head almost 
as big as the cart; old women and children, old men and then the 
small boys capering on astride of wicked looking mules, and so on 
through the train. One old crone had an old stove pipe hat on, which 
caused a big smile among the boys. 

C. L. Maynard. 

New Berne, Jan. 11, 1863. 

At dress parade we had orders read to be in readiness to march in 
forty-eight hours, with five days' rations, three cooked and two 
uncooked. 

12th. Drilled as usual and no new orders; our cartridges were 
counted and made up to forty rounds each. 

13th. Had a battalion drill and dress parade all together. 

14th. On guard ; at five o'clock orders came to march at six next 
morning, the guard were taken off at nine o'clock and the men put 
themselves in order to go. 

loth. Drums beat at half-past four for roll-call and breakfast, at 
six we were put in line. It rained some, and after waiting about fifteen 
minutes were sent back to quarters to wait for further orders. At 
eleven o'clock we were called out again and then the General's aide 
came up and told the Colonel to dismiss us for the day. 

16th. It continued to rain hard all day and we did not start. 

17th, The morning was fair but cool. After some delay we started 
at eight o'clock, three regiments only, the Forty-third, Forty-fifth and 
Fifty-first, a companj' of cavalry and four pieces of artillery. The 
roads were good. We reached PoUocksville about half-past five, went 
into camp in a cotton-field, found a barn full of cotton and made 
a nice bed from it. Charlie Goddard came round at eight o'clock 
with a kettle of whiskey, gave us each a gill, and said we must leave 
our bed and go on picket. It was cold and we could have no fire for 
fear the rebels would see us. We crawled through trees that the 
rebels had felled across the road a distance of half a mile, then 
posted the pickets. We heard nothing of the rebels that night. 

18th. Five companies of our regiment were ordered to stop here 
and the rest to go on to Trenton ; so we had the day to rest and to 
guard the place. I looked around and found the place entirely deserted 
8 



90 HTSTOItY OF COMrANY C, 

except by three families. Picked up a few knick-knacks to bring 
home. 

Three houses were burned (by accident.) 

19th. Was on guard at a rebel's house. The people did not like to 
talk much at first, but soon broke into it, said all groceries were high, 
and answered my questions freely. At two o'clock we were ordered 
forward to guard some negroes while they built a bridge ; we reached 
it at dusk and were fired into, so we marched back a mile and waited 
until morning. 

20th. Went down and found rebels gone, and by the appearance of 
the place they had left in a hurry. We skirmished all up and down the 
river but did not find any, then went over and stood as pickets while 
the cavalry went on to Jackson Mill and routed a lot of rebels. They 
came back in the night, had one hundred and twenty-eight negroes 
that followed them, the old women rode in wagons drawn by oxen and 
mules, and the children followed on behind. It rained pouring hard 
all night. We got wet as rats, but the boys got all the chickens, 
eggs and sweet potatoes and corn meal they wanted, so they did not 
complain of the wet. 

21st. Were now twenty-four miles from camp ; the Colonel wanted 
us to get back that day if possible. The roads were complete beds of 
clay. We struck out and did not mind the rain that was pouring hard 
nearly all day. We reached camp about six o'clock a wet and tired 
set as ever was. 

S. H. Fuller. 



January 22, 18G3. 

We have just returned from our second expedition and find our 
humble self all right side up with care. 

Our first day's march took us to Pollocksville, a small town about 
13 miles from New Berne, on our way we detained ourselves about 
two hours making a bridge which the rebels had destroyed. 

The next day five companies of the 51st were detailed to remain at 
Pollocksville, companies A and E going on with the advance to Tren- 
ton, distance of about 12 miles from Pollocksville. The day follow- 
ing, our advance having returned to Pollocksville, the five companies 
of the 51st under the Colonel advanced about 10 miles toward On- 
slow. Upon arriving at a creek, where we found the bridge destroyed, 
our advanced guard, the first platoon of Co. I under Lieut. Thayer, 
was fired upon by the rebel pickets. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 91 

Having got beyond the position at which we were to halt, the Colo- 
nel ordered us to fall back to that point. 

On the night of the 20th our regiment with two pieces of artillery 
camped at the bridge where the day before our advance had been fired 
upon. 

We had a rough night of it, what the N. C.'s would call " a right 
smart storm," wind and rain without discount. 

The next day, 21st, we started towards home, " Foster Barracks." 
Raining all day. Had 25 miles to march that day in order to sleep in 
our bunks that night. With such an inducement we made the march 
in about nine hours, mud over shoes about half of the time. By the 
way, I forgot to tell you of a little circumstance showing the effect of 
the late Proclamation /Of President Lincoln, — 128 contrabands came 
into our lines on the march from Onslow to Pollocksville, and such a 
sight ! For style in dress they could not be beat, — the variety was 
wonderful. They travelled on mules, ox-carts packed close, regular 
Uncle Toms all cut out ready for Morris Brothers or any other show. 
The boys called the procession ' Higgie's Regiment" and cheered 
them good. 

G. E Barton. 

Foster Barracks, 
New Berne, N. C, January 2'), 1863. 

Dear Parents at Home : 

We have returned from our second expedition, 
which was a much pleasanter trip than the previous one. Sunday 
night, January 11, at dress parade, we received our marching orders 
to be ready in forty-eight hours with five days' rations, three of them 
cooked, in our haversacks. We expected to start Tuesday morning, 
but all day Monday no preparations were made, except to cook the 
meat, and we were kept drilling more, if anything, than ever, so we 
concluded we should not go then. That afternoon we had the longest 
brigade drill we have had, lasting over three hours and a half. Tues- 
day morning found us expecting, so the next morning, though they 
kept us drilling as hard as ever. Wednesday, the Forty-fifth regi- 
ment, which is in camp close to us and in the same brigade, had 
orders to go the following morning, but at the dress parade, the time 
we usually receive orders, nothing was said about it and we began to 
think we should not go at all, but just at dark orders came that we 
must go at daylight the next morning with fifty rounds of amrauni- 



92 HISTORY OF CO:\IPANY C, 

tion, which with our rations were to be delivered out to us at roll- 
call, which is at half-past seven, so as not to break up out sleep as it 
did on the last march. 

Thursday morning at six o'clock our whole brigade, with cavalry 
and artillery, were formed on the parade ground ready to start. It 
began to rain quite fast and after standing some few minutes we were 
all dismissed for one hour, but after that hour had passed we waited 
another and another, till eleven o'clock when we fell in again and 
were once more dismissed. After we were in line and before we 
broke ranks another mail arrived which was distributed immediately, 
I received the Palladium and the Spy of December 31st. 

Friday morning found us in line again but no go. 

Saturday morning brought with it the sun and splendid clear weather, 
just right for a long march and this time we went, starting about 9 
o'clock and marching about fourteen miles through mud and water. 
We found ourselves in the town of Pollocksville before sundow;i. 
Now is where the laugh comes in. After we had eaten our supper 
and made up the nicest beds we have ever had, using curled hair, 
cotton and straw, we were not a little vexed at being told our com- 
pany was detailed to go out on picket about a mile from the camp. 
The rebels in their retreat from the place had tried, as usual, to 
obstruct the road by felling trees across the road for nearly half a 
mile, all of which had to be removed that night. We were on the 
extreme outpost of the guard and were not allowed any fire. The 
night was very cold, the ground was frozen and we had to stay there 
all night in the cold while those in camp were comfortably sleeping 
by a warm fire. Previous to our going out the whole regiment were 
supplied with a gill of whiskey apiece and for the second time in my 
life I tried to get drunk, so you see I am getting those bad habits you 
spoke about, and by the time I get home I shall be beyond hope. 

Sunday we Were favored, for our company with four others were 
left at this town while the others plodded on to Trenton. We spent 
the day strolling around what little we could and building houses of 
evergreen boughs, boards and anything, so that for one night at least 
we had a gay time. 

Monday morning a detail of part of each company brought me on 
picket again on another road about a mile from camp. At noon just 
as we were cooking one of our nice dinners of ham and eggs, which 
we had foraged with about ten pounds of butter, we received orders 
to pick up our traps and prepare to join our regiment for a march. 
The expedition which went to Trenton had returned, and our five 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 93 

companies were to start for Young's Station, about eight miles 
beyond. "We went further than we intended to, and after receiving a 
few shots in the advance when we retreated a mile or two, we were 
ordered to lie down on our arms without any fire. Just after we had 
unrolled our blankets and were preparing for our warm beds Company 
C must needs be detailed for picket, but after considering a while 
concluded it was unsafe for us to go and were ordered back again. 
Then a regiment of our cavalry came up to reinforce us and finding 
us in the dark asked why we did not build some fires. They imme- 
diately dismounted and built their fires and we followed their example, 
having a good supper and a good night's rest. The rebels had 
destroyed the bridge over White Oak Creiek and built a breastwork 
across the road on the opposite bank as though they intended to 
defend it. 

Our company crossed over early Tuesday morning on some plank 
placed across the creek and found behind the breastwork four or five 
cavalry swords, a pistol and some ammunition which they left in 
their hasty retreat. While we were crossing over one of our company 
fell into the stream a distance of some ten feet but without injury. 
We scouted around all the forenoon, but found no rebels but a few 
of their tracks. We always find their cartridges superior, if any- 
thing to ours, the powder is very clear, and many of them have three 
buck shot in each, which ours have not. After the bridge was built 
the cavalry passed over and proceeded some twenty miles beyond 
but found very few rebels there. I believe one or two of their men 
were shot in a slight skirmish. After we had scoured the woods for 
some distance bej'ond the bridge we went on picket about a mile from 
the bridge where we erected quite a mansion, but before it was quite 
finished it began to rain and kept on harder and harder till it came in 
torrents and at midnight we were at least slightly damp, the rain had 
put the fire out and we were in a pretty fix, but luckily it held up and 
we had a chance to get a littl£ dry by morning, but entirely lost our 
sleep. About nine o'clock that night a negro came riding on a mule 
to join several others who were going to New Berne with us. We 
immediately sent him back to get all the negroes he could find. He 
induced about fifty from one old widow's plantation and many others, 
so that by midnight they commenced to come in with mules, ox-carts 
all loaded with their goods. They continued to come in till morning, 
when we counted over one hundred contrabands and fifteen teams of 
all descriptions. So many slaves have we liberated. Two families 
who lived near our cabin furnished us with hot hoe-cakes, roast 



94 1I18TORY OF COMPANY C, 

chicken and 1mm, which our Captain paid for and afterwards induced 
them to go with us. 

Early in the morning we started for liome with our train of contra- 
bands, and as we passed our regiment, wlio were waiting for us, 
received three cheers. We had more fun that morning than we liave 
had for a good while. The road to Pollocksville was very muddy 
and the negroes had considerable trouble getting along with all their 
baggage and babies. They kept up with us to Pollocksville, after 
which the roads became so bad they were obliged to fall behind. We 
burned a l>ridge to prevent their being followed up or going back. 
Our march home becoming worse and worse. I thought I had seen 
muddy roads in Massachusetts, but they do not begin to compare 
with those of North Carolina. Streams of water, knee deep ran 
across the road every few rods and several times the wagons and 
ambulances got stuck in such places and had a hard time in getting 
out, and to make it worse still it rained nearly all the afternoon. In 
some places the mud was so stiff we had to work hard to get our feet 
out and then perhaps the next step we would slip back half as far as 
we advanced. We arrived in New Berne in season for a good supper 
which was ready for us. 

P. S. I thought I would tell you how many men we had on the 
.expedition. The first march we had eighty-five men, but this time 
we had only fifty men, next time I do not expect we shall have any. 
There are thirteen men in our company who are on the sick list now. 

C. W. Haven. 

FosTEH Barracks, 
. New Berxe, N. C, Thursday, January 22, 1863. 

We arrived last night home from our second expedition with whole 
skins and merry hearts at once more seeing the banncks. We started 
about nine o'clock Saturday morning tlje 17th. We advanced some 
seven miles before noon when we stopped and had dinner. The force 
consisted of the Forty-filth and Forty-third Mass. and seven companies 
of the Fifty-first Mass. with some half a dozen pieces of light artillery 
and about seven hundred cavalry. Our regiment did iiot number over 
four hundred men, the remainder being on picket or sick. We started 
onward again after dinner and reached a place called Pollocksville 
about sunset, a distance of fifteen miles, being delayed somewhat by 
the building of a bridge which had been burned some time before by 
the rebels. At this place is a cross road, roads leading to Kinston, 



FirTY-riRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 95 

Trenton and Wilmington. Our camp was scattered over a great space 
so as to give appearance of a great encampment. After stacking arms 
and building fires we were very unceremoniously informed that our 
company were to go on picket. They scattered us along the road 
towards Trenton about a mile. When our advance came into Pollocks- 
ville some rebel cavalry skedaddled in all directions pursued by our 
cavalry, so we supposed the enemy near by in some considerable force. 
Our company was divided into little squads of three or four, extending 
down the road, except the three outposts where there was one man at 
a post. My post would have been the third, but I know not why the 
Captain placed me on the outpost. It was the coldest night we had 
and we were obliged to have no fire and to keep as still as possible. 
About eleven the Captain sent two more men at each post so as to 
relieve the others. I believe I never suffered so much from cold 
before though being on the watch kept us warmer. We saw no 
enemy and had no alarm. In the morning the column advanced 
toward Trenton, leaving five coinj)anies of our regiment to guard the 
cross road. Captains Wood and Wheeler went on to Trenton. We 
returned to camp as soon as the column passed and spent our time in 
trying to make ourselves comfortable for the night. We got a good 
night's rest and felt like something the next morning. My rest was 
short though, for as soon as I had eaten my breakfast I was detailed 
on picket and sent down the road towards Wilmington some two miles. 
My post should have been the second, but the sergeant said he wanted 
one man to act as corporal, so he placed me as corporal with two men 
on the outpost. The force sent to Trenton arrived in the forenoon 
having destroyed the jail and many houses. Our regiment, except the 
two companies, then started down the Wilmington road. When I 
went on picket in the morning I had forgotten to carry my blankets, 
expecting to return for them in the afternoon, I was obliged, therefore, 
to run back to camp and catch up with the regiment. I came up with 
them liiree miles from camp, where they had halted. By this forced 
exertion I was obliged after a little while to let the boys carry my 
things, one my gun, one my blanket, my haversack and canteen. 
They were very kind, if tliey had not helped me I should have been 
obliged to fall out. When we had gone about eight miles we came 
upon a bridge which had been burned by the rebels. As we came in 
sight some shots were fired at us from the other side of the river. 
We halted and prepared ourselves for an engagement, but being just 
sundown we returned some little distance and turned in side of a 
fence, lying on our ai'ms and not allowed to have fires, but before long 



96 iirsTOiiY or company c, 

our cavalry came up with us and we were allowed to camp as usual. 
As we were about turning in orders came for Company C to advance 
down to the river, cross the broken bridge and protect the men while 
building th<! bridge. ^V^e started without a murmur, expecting some 
pretty hot work, but when we had gone about half way we had orders 
to return, thinking it too dangerous to attempt it until moining. 
Somewhat relieved we started back and had a good night's rest. Early 
next morning Company C was ordered to go forward as skirmishers. 
When we reached the stream the second platoon remained on this side 
while we advanced across a single plank to the other side. One of 
our boys fell into the river, the log turning beneath him. After our 
platoon had crossed over the broken bridge it was divided into two 
sections composed of about a dozen men each. The second section 
halted about a dozen rods from the bridge and acted as a reserve. 
Pickets had crossed the stream the night before and found six sabres 
belonging to the rebel cavalry in a picket station, but they had not 
advanced but a few rods from the bridge, so we advanced with the 
expectation of meeting them every moment. The first section now 
advanced again, four skirmishing on the right over an open field, four 
to the left through a dense wood and the rest, consisting of the Captain, 
Orderly Sergeant Wadsworth, Corporal Porter and three privates 
selected by the Captain, kept along the road. Henry Longley, Payson 
Perry and myself were the three privates. It showed, I think, that 
the Captain put some confidence in us by selecting us from the compa- 
ny to go in advance. We went along the road until we got through 
the woods without seeing or hearing anything like a rebel. Here was 
an open field of about half a mile in diameter, and we advanced with 
great caution. We saw some smoke rising up on our right which we 
thought must be a picket station, and the Corporal with Longley and 
Perry went oft' to the right to surround it, but it proved to be a negro 
hut. While they were gone I saw up the road close to the woods a 
rebel cavalryman. I tried to conceal myself but he saw me and 
ran down the road. We then went to the woods where there 
wjas a cross road, being about a mile from the bridge. The workmen 
had by this time finished it and the Colonel with some others came 
where we were. The Captain soon after placed two others with ray- 
self down the road some distance to be the outpost. Our cavalry soon 
came along and when they had passed us a few moments we heard 
shots fired, showing that there were rebels in front, but they imme- 
diately ran with our boys after them pell-mell. The cross roads was 
now made the headquarters of the first platoon and the boys built a 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 97 

bough house and we had our dinners. In the afternoon the Captain 
gave three of us permission to go out foraging. We went three miles 
down the road to a plantation where there were about seventy slaves. 
We told them to pack up their duds and get ready to go to New 
Beine with us for they were hereafter free. They were ready to go 
and only waited to be asked. They gave us a half-bushel of meal, 
a do;^en of eggs and all the sweet potatoes I could carry. I gave this 
to the company. It had rained nearly all day and now it poured 
down in earnest. Such a night as we had I never saw before. We 
wet our blankets and everything else through. W^e could hardly get 
any sleep, being obliged to stand up or lie in the water. In the night 
the negroes commenced to come in. Some came from a distance of 
seven miles. There were live yokes of oxen, some half a dozen mules 
and about one hundred and fifty negroes, some old, some young. One 
man was seventy-seven years old. We marched into camp next morn- 
ing with a queer appearance. Our whole negro train in front with 
"Higgie's Pets" bringing up the rear. Our Captain mounted on a mule 
led the company. The roadside was lined with the other boys who 
cheered and laughed, making quite a novel sight. We started now for 
home, which we reached about sundown, a distance of twenty-three 
miles. At Pollocksville while the regiment rested I got ahead and so 
got home before the regiment. 

L. L. Hicks. 



New Bekne, January 22, 1863. 

We returned last night from a five days' expedition. We marched 
twenty-two miles in one day and did not start until eight in the morn- 
ing. We started on Saturday, three regiments, consisting of the 
Forty-third, Forty-fifth and Fifty-first Mass., six pieces of artillery and 
between four and five hundred cavalry. We marched as far as 
Pollocksville, a distance of eleven miles, and here we encamped for the 
night. We fired only two guns, as the rebels had run, not being 
reinforced. We had just got our rails and had a nice fire built when 
orders came for Company C to go on picket out about a mile. We 
had a ration of what they call "whiskey " delivered out to warm us up 
and prevent the chills, but it is miserable stuiF which they have in the 
army, it will not burn and has a very unpleasant taste. We were not 
allowed to have any fires and of course we could not keep very warm. 
We came back in the morning to where we had encamped the night 
previous, and five companies of our regiment staid over Sunday, the 



98 HISTORY OF COIMPANY C. 

Others going on to Trenton. We staid wlierc we wore till about noon 
the next day, when they returned, and we were ordered on and they 
left behind. We marched until nearly dark, when we heard two gnns 
in our advance, we were ordered into line and did not know but that 
we should have a brush with them. There were only five companies of 
us and the Colonel ordered us to retreat about half a mile, and there we 
encamped for the night. We had just got our accoutrements off when 
Company C was ordered to fall in and advance again. We had not 
gone more than half a mile before we were ordered back. We were 
to guard the workmen while they built a bridge which the rebels had 
burnt up, but they finally concluded they would wait until morning, so 
we went back. Soon the cavalry came up and scoured the woods to 
be sure there ^vere no rebels very near, and we were allowed to build a 
fire. We had twenty crackers delivered out to us in our haversacks 
and about a pound of meat. 

Tuesday our company was ordered to the bridge to guard the work- 
men, who were negroes, about thirty of them with spades and axes. 
I assure you they work them very hard, the engineer stands with a 
stick and lays it on them when they do not work to suit him or get a 
little lazy. Our company was sent out as skirmishers, one in a place, 
behind trees, and we were obliged to keep a sharp lookout in all direc- 
tions. About ten o'clock they finished the bridge and we went on. 
We were left on the road as pickets in four squads. We started about 
half-past eight for New Berne, about one hundred and twenty con- 
trabands coming with us. 

C. A. Moore. 



EXPEDITION TO DEEP GULLY, AND LIFE AT 
MOREHEAD CITY. 



MoREHEAD, March 4, 1863. 
We came down yesterday, and are enjoying ourselves very much. 
My last letter will tell you this movement was intended, and also our 
excursion into the country to spend a week for our health, and that 
we returned last Friday ; that was for our health, and I suppose this 
is, too. You wrote that it was cold in Massachusetts that Sabbath. 
I know it was here, in the afternoon and during the night of that day. 
I was on guard, so that I speak from experience, with nothing to do 
but stay around and keep watch of things. It began to rain Satur- 
day just as we finished pitching our tents, about five P. M., and 
rained considerably during the night, and during Sabbath forenoon 
most earnestly. Of course the ground became very wet, and as only 
half of the tents were put up on Saturday for the guard, the rest of 
them were pitched Sabbath morning in very moist places, very sug- 
gestive of mud-puddles. In the afternoon we had some pine boughs 
put down to lay our blankets on. Our tents were not water-proof, 
being only shelter tents of not very heavy drilling ; neither were they 
very commodious — four pieces buttoned together and stretched on a 
pole so as to resemble the roof of a house, accommodating four men. 
We crawled into them in the most approved Esquimau style. Of 
course, we could not stand up in them, or sit up in them comfortably 
until we raised them up about a foot on walls made of rails and earth ; 
then we made turf chimneys at one end, and so were quite comforta- 
ble for most of the time. We had one day which was perfectly splen- 
did. It rained on Thursday, too, fast enough so that we had to 
spread our rubber blankets on the outside of the teut to keep things 
dry inside. I did not think it best to sleep much that night, and 
spent most of the time by the little fire we were allowed to keep. 
We were so near the advanced pickets that lights in the camp were 
contraband for the first two or three nights, but it was so cold that night 
that the guards kept a handful of fire at their tents. One poor fellow was 
taken with the chills, but fortunately survived ; he was taken while 



100 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

sleeping, and if he had not been watced 1 think he would never have 
known anything about it ; they almost all lose their reason in a short 
time, and I think his would have fled if he had been allowed to sleep 
as long as he would. It is thought now that it is an epidemic which 
has afflicted us, like that of 1832, in which nineteen out of twenty 
attacked with it died. Deacon Kendall's son, Henry, will not live, it 
is thought, and also Rice. The rest of us are very well, that is, 
are improving, and none are coming down. The soldiers whose place 
we take say that it is very healthy here, and that none of their men 
have been sick. 

I can live well now, with my l)ox and a good supply of oysters, 
which I can get by going a few rods and shelling them myself. I had 
some yesterday. I shelled out a quart, with which I intend to prepare a 
good breakfast in the morning. I presume we shall get tired of them 
before long, but at present this item in our bill of fare is very accept- 
able. 

This place is quite sandy ; very little grass can be seen ; in fact, 
the whole country is noticeable for lack of grazing. The railroad 
runs along the main street ; trains run each way at least once a day. 
Companies A and C are located here, E and F at Beaufort, G at the 
Block House, near our old barracks, K (Kimball's company) at Evans 
Mills ; the other companies at Newport Barracks, about ten miles up 
the railroad. From all accounts, we are as pleasantly located as any 
of the companies. 

Some of the houses are quite pretty, mostly two stories, and on the 
whole the place resembles a New England village the most of any 
place I have seen. There is a large hotel here, indicating that this 
was quite a resort during the summer mouths before secession 
blasted its prospects. It sulTers in common with other and 
all places that I have seen, and now Union soldiers occupy 
the houses of the proud Southerners and are set to guard them 
all the time. How galling this must be to their fiery natures. Some 
of them still remain here and are considered to be rank secessionists 
by those who have talked with them. Yesterday we moved into a 
real bona-fide house with paint and plaster on its walls, the first time I 
think that I have been in one since the 24th of last November. A 
hall runs through the centre of the house with a room on each side of 
it. I am on the lower floor on the left hand. Spaulding is in this 
room ; he is very well and wishes to be remembered ; twelve of us 
have to occupy each of these four rooms, and fifteen or sixteen are in 
a house a short distance from us. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 101 

There is a nice level place in front of our house where we play ball 
and shall probably drill. We are to have company and regimental 
drill. Our house stands but a short distance from the salt water and if 
we go across the street we come to the water again not more than 
forty or fifty rods from here. Our rooms are each supplied with 
four windows and a fire-place. 

It is very pleasant and cosy here and far from being lonesome. At 
present we sleep on the floor, but hope to be able to sleep in bunks 
before long. We could not have our own place the first night, but 
slept in a sort of a barn across the street near the water. There 
was quite a strong wind that afternoon and when I retired the roaring 
of the old ocean lulled me to sleep. It does not seem much like sol- 
diering and the beauty of it is that we are suffering it all for the 
Union. 

Our house is white, with green blinds and a little porch with a door 
leading out to it. We have no guard over us and can go where we 
please if we behave ourselves. It is very pleasant to be free to roam 
at will. It seems to us much more pleasant here now than when we 
came here first, then home scenes were so fresh in mind that this 
place could not compare favorably with them, but now having been 
here some time and being accustomed to southern scenes we are better 
able to give it justice. G. E. Dunlap. 

MoREHEAD City, March 6, 1863. 

We arrived in this place last Tuesday evening about 5 o'clock. It 
is much pleasanter than I expected. We go on guard once in three 
days and drill only two hours a day. Quite a change from what we 
had in New Berne. We have about 72 men and occupy two secesh 
houses of four rooms each, and every room has a fire-place. We have 
fresh meat, each mess is allowed to draw it raw and cook it to suit 
themselves. The last time we had a hind-quarter and made a splen- 
did dinner of steak. 

It is beautiful here now. I do not know what it will be in the sum- 
mer. I was on guard last night. My post was on a pier about four 
feet wide that ran out into the harbor about thirty rods to within range 
of an island. I had to stop all boats that came between me and that 
island, and make them show their passes, so you see I held the mari- 
time interests of the town in the " hollow of my hand" as it were. 
Between one and three o'clock this morning it was splendid to stand 
far out over the water, on the pier at low tide, and listen to the break- 
ers over beyond the bar. It was so still you could hear a pin drop. 



102 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

We can find all the oysters we want on the harbor beach. I have had 
two messes since I came — one a stew and the other raw. As there 
is no camp guard we can go where we choose, if we get back in 
time for drill and roll-call. The Captain tells us if we behave our- 
selves it will continue so, but if we get to "cutting up" we shall forfeit 
our privileges. C. B. Fry. 

MoREHEAD CiTv, Marcli 6, 1863. 
We have removed from New Berne to Morehead City, where we are 
now doing guard duty. We received orders to march for Morehead 
on March 1st, when we were up at Deep Gully where we had been 
staying for a week. This place is nine miles from New Berne. It 
was called a sanitary movement, we called it a cemetery movement, 
for we had a cold rain for two days, and the nights were cooler than 
Greenland. We had shelter tents, little bits of things, four sleep in 
one. We built fire-places at one end of them, had fires all night. 
You ought to have seen us in our little tents. We looked like so 
many hogs in pens. But after all we had a very nice time. 

C. F. Pierce. 

MoREiiEAt) Crry, April 8, 1863. 

I am well, "fat, ragged and saucy." I had the bines this forenoon. 
I received this afternoon four letters which, by reading them and look- 
ing at the greenbacks and postage stamps, the blues were driven, I hope, 
"to that bourne from which no traveller returns." I had a pass yesterday 
and had a sail some twenty-tive miles from Morehead ; went down to a 
place called Eastern Banks, about ten miles north of Cape Lookout. 
We went after shells, but were unfortunate, as most of the shells were 
covered up with as much as three feet of sand. The wind had been 
blowing towards the shore for the last fuiir days. If I did not get so 
many shells as I wanted to I had a splendid ride of fifty miles. I 
intend to get a collection of sliells and send them home. We stopped 
at Beaufort when we were going down. It is just the same to the 
South as Newport is to the North. Companies E and F are stationed 
over there. They are quartered in a hotel ; have a hard time, going 
on guard every other day. There is a Company F of First North 
Carolina Volunteers over there besides. I was talking with one of the 
company three weeks ago down at the depot. This fellow came from 
Hyde county. He owned a farm up there of 300 acres. He was 
down on the rebels, said the rebels had taken everything of his away. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 103 

They got 301) bushels of corn, 4 or 5 pairs of mules, wagons, aud many 
head of cattle. He had been making preparations to leave for the 
Federal lines when there came an order that he was drafted into the 
rebel array. He thought it was about time to leave, so after sending 
his wife off he started for Beaufort. The rebel authorities getting 
wind of it pursued him, but as he said he understood sailing a little 
better than they did he got away from them. 

They have detailed eleven men and a sergeant out of Companies A 
and C to act as marines on board of a gunboat down in the harbor. 
Sergeant Dunlap, five men from the Sutton quota, Lavarty, Taft, 
Hinds and Tom Gilbert from our company. Bowman is the sergeant 
from the City Guards. The whole detail is under the command of 
Lieutenant Sanderson. I wanted to go but could not get a chance. 

I had a sail down the harbor last Sunday ; went within half a mile 

of Fort Macon. We stopped to speak to some officers on a gunboat, 

then went to a schooner where we staid an hour or so. We had a 

race with another ship's boat when going back, they got little the best 

of us. I wish you would tell M that he has but a faint idea of 

what a soldier's life is. It is something more than drilling with your 

nice clothes on. It is drilling five and a half hours every day and 

going on guard twice a week, rain or shine. We have a very easy 

time here, drill only two hours a day, and go on guard about three times 

in eight days. It is a great deal easier than up at New Berne. Then 

go on these marches through mud and water or sand. Walk ten to 

twenty miles a day with thirty-five pounds about you, which is " light 

marching order." 

C. F. Pierce. 

MoKEHEAU City, March 16, 1863. 
Since my last letter, Company C has been hustled around consider- 
ably. We came to Morehead Tuesday, leaving four companies at 
Newport Barracks, Companies A and C being left at Morehead and 
two going over to Beaufort ; the other two are, one at Brice's Ferry 
and the other at Evans Mills. We at Morehead think we have got 
into just the right place at last. We are quartered in houses, and very 
good ones, the two companies occupying three houses. The one I am 
in is a house of four large rooms, two above and two below, with a 
pleasant veranda to each story, one above the other. The house has 
two doors, one at each end of a wide hall which runs through the 
middle of the house, the rooms being on each side. We are having 
bunks put up in each room. The house stands about fifty rods from 



104 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

the water, where we go at low tide to get oysters, which are so plenty 
one might get a house-full every day. The duty is very pleasant, 
drill light, only two hours a day, and dress-parade at five P. M. There 
is a daily detail of nine men for picket, six to the depot and three for 
town. 

C. L. Maynard. 

MoREHEAD City, March 20, 1863. 

Saturday our company played against the City Guards, in accordance 
with an invitation we gave them. We played for fifty tallies, and we 
stood 51 to their 33. Your humble servant had the honor of being 
one of the two catchers of our company and first batter. Yesterday I 
was on picket on the shore of Bogue Sound, our duty being to stop all 
boats passing up or down and examine their passes. Some try to go 
by without stopping, and the way we play the balls into them is quite 
lively. We fired six times at one boat yesterday before she would 
bring to and come in. We fire one across the bow, and then if she 
does not come in we fire into her. 

C. L. Maynard. 

New Berne, February 28, 1863. 

T was on picket yesterday They detail a certain number from each 
company every day for this duty. We go out about two miles from 
camp, with a day's rations in our haversacks, and are posted four in a 
place, generally three piivates and one corporal, a quarter of a mile 
apart. I had a comfortable place to sleep, as the One Hundred and 
Seventy-first Pennsylvania regiment had encamped there a short time 
before, and we took one of their shanties. We were obliged to stand 
two hours at a time, and keep a sharp lookout in all directions. We 
drill every day ; they have battalion drill every other day, and the 
intervening days brigade drill, consisting of four regiments. 

Saturday, the 21st, Ave were ordered to march, with one day's 
rations cooked and five days' uncooked. We were ready in line about 
ten o'clock. We marched about ten miles towards Kinston. It was 
then about three o'clock in the afternoon, and we commenced to pitch 
our shelter tents, which had never been used before. They are made 
so you can button them together, and any number sleep under them. 
We got them pitched before dark, and some grass cut for bedding. 
W^e were ordered to load our guns and carry them into the tents with 
us, also to sleep with our equipments on. A candle had been given 



FIFTY-FIRST BEGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 105 

out the night previous at every other teut, and one by good luck came 
to us. We had just got it nicely lighted when the order came for all 
lights to be extinguished, and so we were obliged to lie down and go to 
sleep, as no loud talking was allowed. Two companies of the Twenty- 
fifth Massachusetts (K and G) are here, encamped this side of where 
we are: we are encamped just inside their pickets. We fell in for our 
coffee at seven, with five hard-tack, what we called our rations. 

C. A. Moore. 



10 



EXPEDITION TO CEDAR POINT AND SWANSBORO, N. C. 



(Official Beport.) 

Headquarteks Fifty-First Mass. Kegiment, 
Beaufort, N. C, March 11, 1863. 

Colonel : — 

In obedience to instructions from Department Headquarters, I left New- 
port Barracks on the morning of the 7th inst., with Companies B, C, D, H 
and I of my regiment, a section of Lee's Battery, Lieutenant Cady, and 
Captain Moshelle's company of Third New York Cavalry. Passing through 
the "pecosin," around the liead of Big Broad Creek, we arrived at Cedar 
Point, opposite Swansboro, some eighteen miles from Newport, about four 
o'clock in the afternoon of the 7th. Tlae Steamer Wilson did not make her 
appearance at the mouth of the White Oak river as arranged, and as no other 
transportation could be procured to cross the river (about one and a half 
miles at this place), tlie troops went into bivouac in the woods at Cedar 
Point. 

On the morning of the 8th, the Wilson not having arrived, I accompanied 
Captain Moshelle's company of New York cavalry on a reconnoissance up the 
east side of White Oak creek to a point called Dorton's Ferry (about eighteen 
miles distant to the Point from the Ferry by road), about six miles from 
Smith's Mills or Young's. En route we passed over Pittsford's, Hadnot's and 
Hunter's Creeks, examined Dorton's Ferry, long since abandoned as a 
thoroughfare and entirely impracticable as such in consequence of the 
extended marsh over which a road must necessarily be built to the river. 
The marsh which borders the river at this point is nearly a mile in width, and 
the river in the vicinity of two hundred feet broad. There is no ferry or ford 
between the Point and the mouth of White Oak river. We returned to Cedar 
Point, arriving at camp soon after dark. 

On the morning of the 9th communicated with Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, 
who had reached Swansboro, coming down on the other side of the river with 
a detachment of Third New York Cavalry. 

At six o'clock A. M., 10th inst., left Cedar Point and returned to Newport 
Barracks. Saw nothing of the enemy during our advance and absence, and 
am convinced that they do not cross White Oak river in force, and that 
Swansboro has only been occupied by some fifteen or twenty of the enemy as 
an outpost. 



FirTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 107 

Brigadier-General Potter, chief of staff, joined me in the expedition, and I 
respectfully refer to him, in the matter of details, relative to ferry, fords, 
depth and width of rivers, etc., in conformity to original instructions. 
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 

A. B. R. Sprague, 

Col. 51st Mass. Regiment. 
LiEUT.-CoL. S. Hoffman, 

A. A. General 18th Army Corps. 

MoREHEAD City, March 16, 1862. 

We had orders to move at a half-hour's notice on P^riday evening, 
Feb. 6, in light marching order. The cars took us to Newport Bar- 
racks, where we were stowed quite comfortably for the night. Next 
morning we started, five companies of us, which were B, C, D, H and 
I. Our route was a short distance way from the coast and through the 
most swampy district I have yet seen. F'ive miles, at least, was clear 
mud, from three inches to two feet deep. We stood it for twenty miles, 
when we arrived on the opposite side of the bay from Swansboro, 
where we were halted, when I found that we were ordered to hold the 
place three days. We took only three days' rations with us, but it 
managed to last by the addition of a little hard bread brought along by 
one of the ambulances. I visited two or three small, poor plantations, 
minus the slaves. The occupants are all good Union citizens, so long 
as our troops are near by in force. We laid around there three nights 
and part of three days, doing nothing but walking in the woods and 
along the shore. VVe marched back the same way we went. 

L. H. BiGELOW. 

MoREiiEAD City, March 16, 1863. 

We were allowed to rest in peace until Friday night, when Captain 
Goodell came rushing over to the quarters with orders for the company 
to be ready to get on board the cars in half an hour, so we hustled 
around right smart and in about three-quarters of an hour were on 
board the cars. No one could tell where we were going ; the Captain 
told us we were to march seventeen miles that night. The company 
were in high spirits, singing and carrying on generally. Talk about 
fast riding. I thought I had ridden ftist, but our moonlight ride beats 
all my previous rides. We arrived at Newport Barracks, where we got 
off the cars and there learned that we were to stay there all night, and 



108 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

march in the morning with the four companies we left here at the Bar- 
racks, with fifty cavah-y and a battery of two pieces, smooth-bore 
twelve-pounders. 

It was about 7 o,clock when we started, and we were about eight 
hours on the road, having the worst road to travel I was ever on in 
my life, — mud and water up to our knees. We raai'ched very fast and 
when we arrived at Cedar Point, on Bogue Sound opposite Swansboro, 
a distance of twenty-two miles from Newport Barracks, the boys were 
nearly played out ; as for myself I have not seen a day's march which 
I travelled easier, or was so little tired at night as I was on that night. 
We camped in a beautiful place in the midst of a live-oak grove, 
where we got plenty of rails for our fires and any quantity of leaves 
for our beds. We slept very comfortably where we could lie on our 
leafy beds, looking up into the deep blue of the sky with here and there 
a star twinkling down on the silent sleepers. 

The next day was Sunday ; the weather was quite hot. We got 
through the day as well as we could. The cavalry went ofl:' on a scout 
and came back late in the evening. 

The next morning I in company with two cavalry boys, with whom 
I had formed an acquaintance, wandered down to the shore and we 
amused ourselves by looking at Swansboro through a spy-glass. We 
could see all over the town, which seems to sit on a side-hill fronting 
us. We could see women, also two men. All at once I saw them 
skedaddle, as I was looking through the glass. A number of cavalry 
charged into the town, one squad of them rushed down to the shore 
and began to signal to our shore bearing the signal flag of the Federal 
Signal Corps. So we knew they must be a part of the expedition 
which started from New Berne. After watching them a while, they 
went back, when one of the boys that was with me went over with 
some others in a boat. They brought back several things taken from 
the stores. I have got something for father, 'tis a nice new day-book 
which has not an entry in it. The paper is quite nice. I am going to 
send it home the first chance I can get. 

Tuesday morning we started on the return march, the expedition hav- 
ing accomplished nothing whatever. Nothing of interest occurred on the 
march. We staid at Newport Banacks that night. The next morn- 
ing about ten we took the cars for Morehead City. I forgot to men- 
tion that Monday night, after we all had got nicely to sleep, we had 
the heaviest thunder and the sharpest lightning I ever saw or heard 
accompanied by considerable rain. I did not get up, but pulled the 
rubber blanket over my head and slept soundly until morning. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 109 

We had fresh pork, for a great many young pigs were running through 
the woods, one of which I had the pleasure of running my sabre through. 
We had a big pile of boiled eggs. I brought a whole ham to More- 
head in ray haversack with the leg sticking out at the top. I wish you 
could have been with our company as we arrived at Newport Barracks 
after that long, muddy march, covered with dirty, black mud from head 
to foot, faces and all. For every little distance, as we were picking our 
way through a swamp-hole knee-deep, one would lose his foothold and 
tumble head first into the — what I could not help calling blackberry 
jam. You can well believe that the unfortunate would come out some- 
what muddy. 

C. L. Maynari). 



LIFE AT FORT MACON, NORTH CAROLINA. 



Fort Macon, April 10, 1863. 

You see that this is dated on the day on which I told you we were 
ordered to change our place of abode, and that we are whei'e I wrote 
you in my last I thought we might be. We started early in the morning 
to complete our preparations and about eight went down to the depot 
where we found a tug-boat, on which we went directly and were in a 
short time transported to the fort, which is only a mile or two from the 
depot. We went up to the fort and took possession of our quarters, 
which are very pleasant and comfortable, reminding me very strongly 
of college and college life. We did nothing in particular during the 
day, except to get more perfectly settled and watch the occupants of 
the fort in their drill with the cannon. We occupy three rooms, each 
in charge of a sergeant ; there are twenty of us in this room, several 
of them being room-mates or were at Morehead. Spauldiug is one and 
is opposite me by the entrance to the room. Miller is in the room next 
to me. Wadsworth is with the other orderlies, those of Company I, 
Forty-fifth and Company C, First Regiment U. S. Artillery. The fort 
is on an island and forty or fifty rods from the wharf. A railroad track 
is laid nearly up to the fort on which the soldiers convey quite easily 
whatever is to be brought into the fort. A comfortable walk is pro- 
vided for us by laying boards on the ties between the rails. You can 
imagine the situation of things by thinking of a large mound whose 
top has been removed and its centre dug out to the depth of about six- 
teen feet, and in circumference perhaps seventy yards ; around this 
cellar, as you call it, a thick brick wall is built as high as the surface 
of the ground, the inner part of it being lower, and arranged for mount- 
ing of guns; twenty are placed on this terre-plein or rampart; I sup- 
pose it would accommodate at least twice that number. Cannoniers' 
rooms for guns were placed in the bottom of this wall on the inside so 
as to command the sally-port or entrances to the inner foit in case the 
enemy should gain the outer rampart. Between the outer and inner fort 
is a moat about fifteen feet wide, over which is a bridge sloping down 
ward toward the inner wall ; in this wall is a strong double gate. I 






Views of Fort Macon, N. C. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGI3IENT, MASS. VOLS. Ill 

pity the men who may ever be directed to stand on the bridge and at- 
tempt to break down these gates. The inner wall is about fifty feet thick 
through which rooms run from side to side, these are about eighteen 
feet wide and arched, with two ventilators through the top; one door 
opening on the parade-ground — centre of fort — and a window at the 
opposite end, looking towards the moat, so arranged that a field-piece can 
be fired when necessary. On either side of the window is a loophole 
for the riflemen to shoot at the enemy as he appears on the outer wall. 
The centre is five-sided, not of equal length, however. Three flights of 
stairs conduct us to the top of the inner wall on which seventeen guns 
are mounted. Under each flight of stairs is a pump. A brick walk 
runs around the enclosure. The centre is covered with powdered oys- 
ter shells. There is a fire-place in each room, and enough single bunks 
for most of us provided with tick and straw. It seems very much like 
being in a city, the gates are closed at night when the sunset gun is 
fired and the flag taken down, and opened at sunrise. Everything is 
kept very neat here and it is very pleasant. About all the grass I have 
seen in North Carolina is on the top of this hill. We have dress- 
parade a little before the setting of the sun, immediately after which 
we go to our respective places in case of an attack. We cannot go out 
of the fort without the countersign between sunset and sunrise. The 
boys cannot run guard here, if they wished to. I feel almost provoked 
with myself for being so honest in this respect while at Worcester. I 
know more now than then. At the time when the rebels took posses- 
sion of the fort, before the breaking out of the war, it was occupied by 
a sergeant with his family and one private. Corporal Kimball of the 
Regulars, who is commissary for the post, was one of the gunners 
with Burnside when he besieged the fort, his first shot dismounted a 
large gun which is now mounted on the outer wall in the angle toward 
the sea. He knew the situation of the magazine and three shots in 
succession were thrown into the same place in the wall, just over the 
door leading to it. It appeared to our brothers by that time that they 
were somewhat in danger, and they wisely surrendered. 

G. E. DUNLAP. 

Fort Macon, April 11, 1863. 

On April 9th we received orders to get ready to march for Fort 
Macon. This surprised us greatly as we all wanted to stay. I was on 
guard the first day. The countersign was White Plains. We have to 
attend strictly to business ; have to do it right up a la militaire style. 
Wear white gloves, shoes blacked up and carry guns always at right 



112 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

shoulder, shift or at supi)ort. Company I of the Forty-fifth Regiment 
Mass. Vols., according to my mind, is the best drilled nine months' com- 
pany. There is also Company C of the First U. S. Artillery here. We 
are going to stay here and do garrison duty and learn to work the guns. 
I had a pass to-day ; went over to Beaufort. I had quite an adventure 
over there ; when I was getting into the boat I put my hands up 
against the wharf to steady myself and in so doing the boat naturally 
pushed away and down I went into the water to the bottom, ten feet, 
when I came up I grabbed the boat and got in rather wet. 

C. F. Pierce. 



Fort Macon, at the entrance of Beaufort Harbor. 

April 21, 1863. 

We have received our pay to the first of March, which amounted to 
$83.20. I shall send home $70.00 ; the check I expect will come over 
from Beaufort to-day. We have to work now harder than we ever 
did before. We have to get up at sunrise and drill from half-past six 
to half-past seven, and from ten to eleven in artillery, and from four to 
five in the afternoon, with dress parade at six. We have to go on 
guard once in thiee days and once in four days. We have to go on in 
the night two hours and sit up two hours before we can go to sleep, 
then we can sleep what time we can in two hours, then we go on guard. 
We have inspection every time we go on guard and dress parade, 
which we have never done before. We have to drill in the afternoon 
as usual, the next day we have to go on police duty, and in the after- 
noon we have to patrol the island up five or six miles and get back at 
retreat. We are not allowed to go out of the fort after dress parade. 
When Ira and I were on patrol we killed two snakes, one of them was 
an adder, and a large one, too. Came near stepping on him as he 
faced us. The other one was a large black snake. I was on guard 
Sunday. The boys killed twelve copperheads. I shall not have to go 
on guard when my turn comes the next time. The one that makes the 
best shot in the morning gets excused and I happened to be lucky 
enough to get it. The duty is hard, but we live better than we ever 
did before. We have soft bread nine days out of ten, it is tip-top 
bread, baked here in the fort and we get it warm. We had artillery 
practice last Saturday. Our company fired twenty rounds at a target 
up where Burnside planted his battery. We did not hit it, but we 
came pretty close to it, so that I should not like to stand there when 
the shells burst. I was almost deaf when we got through. It was in 



FIFTy-FIKST REGIMENT, MASS. A^OLS. 113 

one corner of the fort and one of the guns pohited almost at me. 
Some of the shells burst almost before they got out of the gun. They 
were some of the shells that the rebels had. The company out of the 
Forty-fifth fired three and the regulars three with the ten-inch colum- 
biads ; every shot went pretty near, and two of them hit the target. 
The shells weigh 138 pounds. We fired thirty-four guns yesterday 
for the taking of the Fort. It is just one year from yesterday, the 
twenty-sixth day of April. We fired a battery of eight guns. The 
pickets brought in a rebel this morning. lie had a pass, but he could 
not get in on that because there had not been any passes given out. 
He said there were a " right smart lot " of rebels opposite Newport 
barracks. 

G. W. TOURTELOTTE. 



11 



CAMP LIFE, AFTER LEAYING FORT MACON, AT FOSTER 
BARRACKS AND CAMP WELLINGTON. 



May 2, 1862. 

Received orders to i-eturn to New Berne. 

May 4, about 10 o'clock, we left the fort with Company I, Forty- 
fifth Mass. Infantry on the steam tug Long and a flat which she towed 
along. Company E came from Beaufort with all their baggage and 
Company F also, but Company F got aground and we waited till after 
three when we left, stopping at Morehead and taking on Company A, 
then we came np here and landed this side of the bridge, unloaded our 
baggage, and teams were tlrere to take it over here to the old Foster 
Barracks. After unloading from the cars and loading on to the teams 
we started oft' with the men to this place, and arrived here a little 
before sundown and found the barracks very dirty, indeed, they have 
been used for a convalescent camp since we left and most shamefully 
used, too, some of the rooms as horse stables. The men went to work 
and cleaned them up so they could stay the first night, and the 
next day they washed them thoroughly and fixed them up some, so 
that now they look quite decent. We had dress pai-ade last night and 
the Colonel told us that we were here only temporarily, that we 
should soon go into tents, as these barracks are in range of P'ort 
Gaston. 

The duties of the camp for the present are : — 

Reveille 5.30 A. M. 

Surgeon's Call 6.30. 

Breakfast . 7. 

Troop 7.30. ' 

Guard Mounting 8. 

Drill 8.30 to 10. 

Dinner 12 M. 

Drill 4 to 5.30 P. M. 

Retreat 6.30. 

Supper 7. 

Tattoo 9. 

Taps 9.30. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 115 

22d. Moved to Camp Wellington. 

24th. Last night at half-past nine o'clock we were ordered to be 
ready to march at a raoment's notice with one day's rations and sixty 
rounds of cartridges. We got to bed at one and slept till morning. 
We were not called upon to march and as the troops that did go have 
all returned I presume we shall not go. 

27th. General Foster came to camp this morning, or rather at 
noon. The regiment was ordered out and he made them an oifer, if 
they would enlist now to go into a regiment of heavy artillery to garri- 
son the foits here, he would send them right home on the first steamer, 
and give them thirty days' furlough and the U. S. government will 
give one hundred dollars bounty and the State of Mass. fifty more. 

June 18th. Went to Morehead City, unloading telegraph poles on 
the way. 

J. O. Bemis. 



Camp Wellington. 
New Berne, May 28, 1863. 

We have moved up side of the railroad near the city, so we save 
four miles of travel when we go into the city. Our old barracks are 
being taken down with those of the Seventeenth Mass., to give range 
to the guns at Fort Gaston. We are now in what they call A tents, 
such as the Twenty-fifth had in Worcester. It is awful hot here now 
and especially in the tents, as hot as it is in July at home. Blackber- 
ries are ripe. I saw some green peaches and figs the other day up in 
the city. I had a pass yesterday and went all over New Berne, up to the 
Twenty-fifth camp, to Fort Totten, which is a very strong earthwork. 
I saw prisoners that had a thirty-two pound ball and chain on and that 
had a board about six feet long with their arrys strapped on it hori- 
zontally. The reason this was done was because the men refused to 
work. 

I hear that they are preparing a reception for the Fifty-first when 
we reach Worcester, where I expect to be in four weeks. They are 
trying to get a heavy artillery regiment out of the nine months' troops. 
There is offered one hundred and fifty dollars bounty and thirty days' 
furlough. General Foster has been around to all the nine months' 
troops telling them about this regiment. He came over to our regi- 
ment the other day. We fell in and formed column closed in mass 
and then General Foster made us a little speech. Then we gave him 
nine cheers. 



116 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

The Forty- third pickets made a [Jietty important capture a day or two 
ago. One of the pickets happened to be some distance from his post 
when he saw what he thought to be a man, and hurried back to the post 
to inform his comrades. Tliey went out with their guns and ordered 
the man to halt, lie kept right on walking when they fired at him, 
then he started to run and they after him, but he got stuck in the mud 
and the pickets caught him. The man said, " Well, boys, you have 
caught me, let me change my clothes?" He had an extra suit with 
him and he turned out to be a rebel major with the plan of all the 
forts and fortifications in and around New Berne. Some of our boys 
saw him when he went past our camp under guard to the city. He 
was a handsome-looking man. 

C. F. PlERCK. 

Camp Wellington, 
New Beune, May 28, 1863. 

Last Saturday we i eceived orders to be in readiness to move at a 
moment's notice, with one day's rations in our haversacks. The expe- 
dition of the Second Brigade to Core Creek, about fifteen or so miles 
up towaids Kinston, having, it was said, met with more than was 
anticipated. We got ready and remained so all night and the next 
da}', but no orders came, and towards the evening of Sunday news 
came that the forces had been withdrawn. I think a majority of the 
boys would like to have gone, especially after hearing of the death of 
Colonel Jones of the One Hundred and Fifty-eighth New York. He 
has had command of the outposts in that direction for some time, and 
was an efficient and brave officer. When shot he was reconnoitering 
far in advance of his forces. The rebels will no doubt rejoice over his 
death, for he is by this time well known to them, and they are not 
poor judges of military merit. His loss is worth more to them than 
would be that of any brigadier general of this department. 

General Foster visited the camps of all the nine months' regiments 
in this corps yesterday, and addressed them on the subject of re-enlist- 
ing. He desires to organize a regiment of heavy artillery, consisting 
ot eighteen hundred men, twelve companies of one hundred and fifty 
men each, and sixty officers, out of the nine months' troops here, 
Major Frankle of the Seventeenth Massachusetts is the would be and 
probably will be the colonel. The men who re-enlist will immediately 
go home on a thirty days' furlough, and receive $100 bounty from the 
United States and $50 more from Massachusetts. They will garrison 
the defences of this department. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 117 

We have a beautiful camp now, all laid out in broad streets, and set 
out with pine tops about fifteen or twenty feet high. We are in A 
tents, little things shaped like an A ; four of us are together in one. 
Ours where I live is furnished with a board floor raised from the ground 
to serve as bunks, and there we sleep like pigs in clover, only it is 
awfully crowded. Some of the more cheeky have only two in a tent. 
I am determined to avail myself of none but legitimate advantages 
and subscribe to the letter of the law so far as it is anywise tolerable. 

A rebel spy was captured across the river the other day trying to 
make his exit through our lines. He holds a major's commission in 
the rebel array, and had plans of all the fortifications around New 
Berne, even those now in process of construction. He was captured 
by a Boston boy of the Forty-third Massachusetts. He cariied a valise 
containing his regimentals, and wore at the time of his abortive 
endeavors to escape a citizen's garb of the plainest texture. He led off 
in a fine foot-race, but the young Athenian was a model of persever- 
ance, penetrating swamps up to his neck in the chase. It remains now 
to be seen if they will hang him or no. If they do not, I do not see 
how they can ask God's blessing on our arms. 

General Foster is absent for a lime, and Colonel Amory, command- 
ing our brigade, is acting Major-General pro tern. He is not a very 
energetic man, and his being a West Pointer and an admirer of 
McClellan does not prepossess us in his favor. He is a fine tactician, 
but, like his ideal, is averse to the shedding of blood. 

C. B. Fry. 



EXPERIENCES OF THE COMPANY AFTER LEAVING NEW 
BERNE UNTIL MUSTERED OUT. 



(Official Report hy Colonel A. li. R. Sprague.) 

This regiment, on the 24th of June, received orders from Major- 
General J. G. Foster to report at P"'ortress Munroe, Va., and, with the 
exception of one hundred and eighty-three sick, on the afternoon of 
that day embarked on board the steamer Thomas Colli/era.nd schooner 
A. P. ITowe. Arriving at Fortress Monroe on the morning of the 
27th, the commanding officer reported, per orders, to the senior officer, 
who directed the regiment to proceed to Cumberland, Va., on the 
Pamunkey river. It was all put aboard the Collyer^ and proceeded 
thither. While en route it was ordered to White House, Va., where 
it arrived about midnight. Early on the morning of the 28th reported 
to General Dix, and received orders from him to proceed home (the 
term of service of the regiment having nearly expired), and arrived 
back at Fortress Monroe on the evening of the 28th. 

While awaiting transportation from there, learning the critical con- 
dition of affairs in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Colonel Sprague 
authorized General Naglee to offer the services of the regiment for the 
emergency, and after telegraphing to Washington they were accepted 
and orders received from General Halleck to report to General Schenck 
at Baltimore, who was in command of the "middle department." 

Arrived at Baltimore on the first of July, and immediately reported 
to General Schenck, who ordered the regiment into camp at Belger 
Barracks. Remained there until the sixth of July, the regiment in the 
meantime performing fatiguing duties and much hard marching. On 
one occasion it escorted some twenty-three hundred rebel piisoners 
(who were taken at Gettysbui-g) from the depot to Fort McHenry. 

On the fourth of July it received the honor of being detailed to 
search the houses of citizens of Baltimore for arms, in conjunction with 
the city police; and although being a disagreeable as well as delicate 
duty to perform, it was creditably done, and thousands of arras of 
various kinds were seized and taken to the office of the City Marshal. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 119 

On the night of the fifth of July orders were received to march the 
next morning at six o'clock, in light marching order (each man fur- 
nished with three days' rations and sixty rounds of ammunition), to 
report at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad depot to Brigadier-General 
Briggs, and regiment arrived at said station at said hour. Proceeded 
as far as Monocacy Junction, where it remained until the next morning. 

On the 7th arrived at Sandy Hook, Md., whence the rebels were 
driven the night before. Received orders there assigning the regiment 
to a brigade under command of Brigadier-General Briggs, and about 
nine in the evening were ordered to proceed to Maryland Heights. 
The weather was very rainy, the night dark. The Eighth, Forty-sixth 
and P'ifty-first Massachusetts regiments, with a Pennsylvania battery, 
all under the command of Colonel Sprague of the Fifty-first, commenced 
the ascent. 

After hours of delay and weary marching, the column arrived at Fort 
Duncan, on the Heights, about four o'clock the next morning. The 
regiment remained on the Heights, doing picket duty out on the 
Potomac river, also on the Sharpsburg road, until the 12th of July, 
when it was ordered to procure three days' rations and proceed to 
Boonsboro, Md., to join the Army of the Potomac, which was in that 
vicinity endeavoring to interrupt the retreat of the army of the rebel 
General Lee. 

The brigade of General Briggs, consisting of the Thirty-ninth, 
Eighth, Forty-sixth and Fifty-first Massachusetts regiments, arrived at 
P'unkstown, Md., in front of the enemy, about three o'clock in the 
afternoon of the thirteenth, having marched a distance of thirty miles. 
Surcharged with malaria, contiacted in the swamps of North Carolina, 
without camp-equipage, kettles, or a change of clothing, in wet 
weather, the men were poorly prepared to endure the fatigue, and 
large numbers became sick and were sent back to Baltimore from 
Sandy Hook and Maryland Heights, and when it arrived at the front 
the regiment had an aggregate of two hundred and seventy-five men. 
The brigade was immediately assigned to the Second Division, First 
Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and second line of battle. 

July 14th (the day that Lee's army was reported as crossing the 
Potomac), the brigade was ordered to march with the main body, and 
proceeded to Williamsport, Md., where it was evident that the rebels 
had eflTected a' crossing. It encamped (the brigade) there that night, 
and on the 15th marched back through Funkstown and in the direction 
of Berlin, where a pontoon had been thrown for the passage of our 
troops into Virginia. The enemy having disappeared from our front, 



120 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

recrossed the Potomac in full retreat, the regiment received orders 
from (^orps Headquarters on the IGth to proceed to Berlin, where 
transportation would be furnished to Baltimore ; also orders to return 
to Massachusetts to be mustered out of the service of the United 
States. The regiment started from Baltimore on the 19th of July, 
and arrived at Worcester, Mass., on the 2l8t. 

A furlough was granted to the men until the 27th, when they were 
mustered out of the United States service by Captain Lawrence, Fourth 
Infantry, U. S. A. The sick who were left behind at New Berne, N. 
C, under charge of Assistant-Surgeon Garvin, arrived at Boston and 
were mustered out with the rest at Worcester, Mass. 

A. B. R. Sprague. 

June 24. We left New Berne to-day about 7 o'clock, Companies C, 
F, H, and K on board the schooner A. F. Howe towed by the 
steamer Thomas Collyer on which were the rest of the regiment. 
Arrived at Foi tress Monroe June 27th at half-past one in the morning. 
After lying there till about eleven we moved all the baggage except 
what was absolutely necessary to live with, on board a boat to be left at 
Fortress Monroe and we all got on the Collyer and started off, it is 
said, up the York River bound for Cumberland. We are now lying at a 
wharf at Yorktown. 

Sunday, June 27. We are now at White House, and it is a cloudy, 
misty morning. There are eight or ten small steamers here, and camps 
all around on the shore. The main body of the army is said to have 
moved yesterday. 

June 28. We have been ordered back to Fortress Monroe and from 
there to proceed home, unless Geneial Foster was there, if so to report 
to him. We started down the river between eight and nine and had a 
very pleasant sail ; arrived at Fortress Monroe at sundown and lay 
there all night. 

June 30. Orders came this morning for one half the regiment to 
remove to the steamer George Washington and proceed to Baltimore. 
The left wing went on the George Washington. Arrived in Balti- 
more early in the morning and after waiting till about four o'clock had 
orders to disembark and proceed to Belger Barracks, a very fine place 
about three miles from the wharf. 

July 2. This morning the legiment was ordered to report at head- 
quarters and we were set to searching the houses and stores for fire- 
arms, &c. From three to five men went with a policeman, who pointed 
out the place and we went in and searched the premises. I was with 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 121 

two men as one squad, and we worked very hard from the time we got 
at it till quite dark and found six guns and three pistols and some pow- 
der. Arrived at the barracks at twelve o'clock, veiy tired. 

Sunday, July 5. We were ordered to report with six companies at 
headquarters down town to guard a number of prisoners that had been 
sent from the battle-field of Gettysburg. About fourteen hundred had 
left before we got there and we were sent back and ordered to hold our- 
selves in readiness between four and six. We left again about half- 
past six and went to the railroad and waited till after eight when some 
twenty-five hundred prisoners arrived. After getting them off of the 
cars we marched them to Fort McHenry, some seven miles. We got 
back about two o'clock in the morning. It rained quite hard and we 
were very wet. 

J. O. Bemis. 



Belgi':r Barracks, 
Baltimore, Md., July 2, 1863. 

I wrote you on the the 24th and in the afternoon we started for the 
boats, the steamer Thomas Collyer and schooner Aureiia P. Howe. 
The first six companies went aboard the steamer, so it was our lot to 
have the schooner. After much delay we started about sundown down 
the river. It was not very pleasant for it rained, and there were no 
houses on the banks to make the scenery interesting. When we came 
to the mouth of the river we cast anchor and waited until morning 
when we again started. We arrived at Hatteras Inlet about eleven 
A. M., where we remained until next morning when we crossed the bar 
and entered the old ocean. 

We reached Fortress Monroe about one o'clock next morning, where 
we remained until nearly noon, when we all got aboard the steamer and 
started up the York river to report to General Dix at White House. 
We arrived in the night, after having a very pleasant passage. In the 
morning, after considerable delay, we were again ordered to report 
back at Fortress Monroe, as our time was nearly out and the advance 
on Richmond would probably not commence for a week or more. This 
place is within twenty miles of Richmond, and I should think had, in 
and around, about twenty-five thousand troops. We reached the 
fortress again the next night and there remained two nights and one 
day. The ^Oth, about ten o'clock A. M., after putting the left flank on 
the steamer George Washington, we were ordered to Baltimore to 
report to General Schenck. We arrived off the harbor about two 
12 



122 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

o'clock yesterday morning and there waited until daylii:;lit for the 
Collyer when we both came in together. We lay at the wharves until 
about five o'clock, when we landed and marched to our present camp 
about three miles. We are west of the city in good barracks, splendid 
grounds with shade trees in abundance, and everything better than we 
have seen for the last seven months. Night before last there was an 
alarm here and some ten thousand citizens turned out to protect their 
city. Tlie streets are barricaded so the inhabitants can more effectually 
resist an attack. 

July 3. My letter was suddenly brought to a halt yesterday by an 
order to fall in with guns and equipments. The regiment marched down 
street to the police station where we left our guns and cartridge-boxes. 
We were then divided into squads of four under charge of a policeman 
and started for all parts of the city. We were ordered to enter every 
house designated by the policeman and search for firearms and any 
kind of weapons. The first house that I entered was owned by the 
richest man in Baltimore, Ross Winans, the inventor of the steam can- 
non and cigar-boat. It was decidedly the most splendid house and 
handsomely furnished I ever saw. They treated us well, showing us 
around very politely. We found no arms there. We wei'e some three 
hours in going over the buildings. The rest of our task was on West 
Lombard street. We went from cellar to attic, examining every nook 
and corner. I do not know how many houses we went in. We took 
three guns and a sabre. Several rows occurred, but do not know 
whether anyone was injured. The regiment marched back to camp at 
nine o'clock and Company C was detailed to bring up the rear and pick 
up stragglers. We got to the barracks at twelve o'clock at night. 

L. L. Hicks. 

New Berne, N. C, June 23, 1863. 

For to-day theie is not much to record, except that this evening the 
report has come that we are to start for Fortress Monroe to-morrow, 
which report we did not credit for a moment at first, but at last were 
obliged to although it does not seem possible to get ready, especially as 
we are to escort the Forty-fifth to the cars in the morning, then have 
an inspection and to be ready to start at two P. M. Fortunately for 
Miller and myself I sent home a box to-day with some of our extra 
articles in it. I packed the box as he was at Morehead with a party 
setting telegraph poles. They went tliis A. M. with three days' rations, 
but returned unexpectedly this afternoon, fortunate for them. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 123 

June 24. We have gone entirely through the programme which I 
spoke of 'last evening, and quite easily too, and now are going down the 
Neuse towards Hatteras Inlet, on board the schooner Aurelia P. Howe, 
— that is, Companies C, F, H, and K, — the others are on board the 
steamer Thomas Collyer, which is towing us. I said we are going to- 
wards the inlet. We shall as soon as we leave the river. I hope we may 
have good weather, for the Collyer is only a river boat. We had a 
little shower just after going on board and it is not giving us the prom- 
ise of a fair day to-morrow. The schooner is a seaworthy boat, but not 
designed for a transport and has no bnuks,^ so we shall all be on a 
level. 

June 25. I found on rising this morning from my bed on deck 
where a gently falling rain kept me moist and cool, which was much bet- 
ter than the heat of the hold, that the boats had anchored on reaching 
the sound, I suppose to wait for daylight. We soon started, and as it was 
rather stormy all the morning anchor was cast at Hatteras Inlet, and 
we remained in ihis condition all the rest of the day ; the storm was an 
easterly one, but still not severe enough to hinder a good ocean boat 
from venturing out alone. Nothing of interest occurred, except the 
drowning of a dog ; he kept swimming around the boat till he was 
exhausted ; he might have reached the shore very easily if he had gone 
in the right direction. 

June 26. We have now entered on the tenth month of our military 
service. I slept nicely on deck ; about midnight it was pleasant and 
after that the wind blew quite hard, so that I thought we should not move 
during the day, but before sunrise we started, as the wind had changed 
and the prospect was better for the day. Miller and a few others have 
been sea-sick. I bought a good breakfast this morning for thirty cents. 
We have been running along all day in plain sight of the sandy coast 
of North Carolina ; occasionally the prospect is diversified by the sight 
of a sand hill or a belt of forest. We had heavy showers along Cape 
Hatteras, but escaped the gales. We had a quiet day ; about noon the 
sun came out, drying the deck and our wet clothing. Some good bluefish 
were caught during the afternoon. We saw Nag's Head where the 
family of the traitorous ex-Governor Wise, of Virginia, formerly spent 
the watering season. 

June 27. When it was time to retire last evening I made my bed 
on the bows and was driven from there about one this morning, when 
the anchor was cast on arriving at Hampton Roads. About ten A. M. 
the Forty-third came up and soon after the report came that we were 



124 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

to go to Cumberland on the Pamunkey river ; just before that Colonel 
Sprague returned from the fort. Now all is bustle in preparing for a 
start. 

G. E. Dun LA p. 



On Board Steamer Thomas Collyer, 
June 27, 1863. 

I sent you a letter this noon stating that we were busy preparing 
to start for Cumberland, as reported, on the Pamunkey, which with 
the Mattapony forms the York. We were soon ready and started 
about noon. Those who were unable to go, and some who thought 
themselves so, were left behind. Dennis has got left somewhere. I 
slept nearly two hours after leaving the Fortress, waking when we 
stopped at the famous Yorktown at the mouth of the York. After a 
short delay we passed on up the York, which is a magnificent river, 
far surj^assing my ideas of it, with nice green banks rising to quite a 
respectable height; this rolling surface covered with trees and verdure 
of a luxuriant growth, seemed to us more delightful from the contrast 
to our winter home and a partial resemblance to our northern homes. 
We saw many pleasant residences along the shore. We are all on 
board the Collyer, and as we have been out several days her larder is 
quite reduced, so much so that the number of breakfast tickets for 
to-morrow morning is so limited as hardly to accommodate the officei'S. 
When they will sell them we can get dinner for seventy-five cents 
and the other meals at fifty cents and eat after the officers have 
finished. There is no opportunity for our cooks to prepare any meals 
or do anything for us, so that our rations and appetite do not bear the 
right proportion to each other, though if we choose to eat wormy hard 
bread we need not be stinted. But as all things have an end this must 
too and we'll enjoy the change. 

June 28. I told you yesterday we should have a change and we 
have now sooner than we expected. This morning we found ourselves 
at White House, the head of navigation on the Pamunkey, where a 
large force is collecting. A railroad runs through that place to Rich- 
mond, about twenty miles. As soon as possible our boat moved up to 
the wharf where we remained a little while and I improved the time 
to step on the "sacred soil of Virginia." The boat moved away in a 
short time, as I then supposed to allow another boat to unload before 
us, but after a brief delay we moved down the stream and then I 
learned that the Colonel had reported to General Dix who ordered him 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 125 

to proceed to Baltimore with the Fifty-first, unless he should find 
Foster at Monroe. You can imagine that an unavoidable but agreea- 
ble change came over the " spirit of our dreams," and so we ran down 
the river reaching the Foilress about dark. The Colonel went on 
shore at once but the result of his efforts I do not know. I purchased 
a ticket for supper, but could not use it, as provisions are so scarce. I 
should like to go on shore, but the prospect is doubtful and aggravat- 
ing. 

June 29. This day has been rather impatiently passed by us all, for 
remaining all day at anchor with no prospect of starting for home and 
hearing all the while contradictory reports about it is not very agreea- 
ble. The Colonel has been off almost all day. These delays in milita- 
ry life are not pleasant. My ticket procured me a good but not a very 
sumptuous breakfast. Our boats brought us some soft bread and some 
smoked pork, and some condensed coffee, besides all these articles an 
old negro has sold us about two barrels of ginger cakes: It was a 
hard matter to get them. You will readily understand that with so 
many on board we can not all have state-rooms. We found that 
Dennis had been ordered to join the regiment and had gone up to 
White House on a boat which had run aground and so he missed us. 
We had quite a laugh at his expense. 

On board the steamer George Washington. June 30. At last we 
are on our way, the left wing of the regiment having been transferred 
to this boat early this forenoon and starting about ten o'clock. We 
are nicely accommodated now and are having a splendid sail up the 
Chesapeake. Five companies with the sick, Longley included, and our 
Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel will follow on the Collyer as soon as 
she has coaled. As we started we met the boat which was bringing 
Dennis, the boys saw him and cheered him lustily. I should laugh if 
he did not get home with the regiment. Seven months to-night since 
we landed at Morehead. 

July 1. This morning we found ourselves at anchor about ten miles 
below the city, at which place we arrived about three o'clock A. M. 
I suppose we waited for the Collyer. We hear daily exciting news in 
regard to the movements of the rebels, but hardly give them perfect 
credence. If we are not ordered to stop and assist at Baltiinore or 
vicinity we shall reach home by the Fourth. Foster ordered us to 
report to General Schenck at Baltimore. The general opinion is that 
we shall be allowed to proceed as soon as transportation can be 
obtained. At Fortress Monroe three opportunities were given to us of 
going to Baltimore, but the orders to this effect were countermanded 



126 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

before we could be removed from the boat ; however, he was assured 
that he should have the first transportation that was to be obtained. 
As soon as the Collyer came up we started for Baltimore, which we 
reached at about eight o'clock. The Colonel went on shore and after 
various reports and putting our equipments on three times we went on 
shore about halt-past five P. M., having spent an entire week on the 
water. It was ])leasant to be on shore again, though our march out to 
Belger Barracks, two miles or more from the city, or rather the landing, 
was wearisome and the weather was intolerably warm. The knapsacks 
were quite heavy. Our location repays the trouble of the march out, for 
it is beautiful, being on a hill in Druid Hill Grove just on the edge of 
the city. The barracks are the nicest, on the whole, that we have had, 
being a main building with two wings. They are nicely whitewashed 
and ventilated, with trees in the enclosure and all around us. The 
water is good ; everything convenient. The regiment repeatedly 
cheered the flag and the young ladies who waved it to us as we 
came up. 

G. E. DUNLAP. 

Baltimore, July 2, 1863. 
I never sup})oscd that anything in Mother Goose would apply to me, 
but one thing does and to the whole regiment also. For to-day I have 
been " upstairs, down stairs, and in the lady's chamber," with an 
emphasis. Soon after breakfast the order came to " fall in," which we 
did without the slighest idea of what it was for and marched into the 
city where the regiment was divided into squads of four mostly, some- 
times three, and put in charge of a policeman, who took us about and 
directed us as to what houses we should search for the purpose of tak- 
ing possession of all firearms which we might find. It was a very 
unpleasant duty, but we discharged it to the best of our ability, and 
considering the nature of it we had a very pleasant but most decidedly 
hard time. A large number of things were taken but I found nothing 
very suspicious. The people submitted to it gracefully and more 
pleasantly than I should suppose possible. We endeavored to make it 
as pleasant as possible for them, at the same time obliging them to 
admit us to every nook and corner of their premises. It makes me 
think of home and that I should dislike to have men going about your 
apartments and examining everything as I did. Unpleasant for the 
ladies. I went into some nice places. It was midnight when we 
reached the barracks. We stopped for supper which detained us an 
hour probably. 

G. E. DuNLAP. 



FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 127 

Sandy Hook, July 5, 1863. 

Called in the morning to escort rebel prisoners — returned without 
seeing them. Started at six P. M. for the same purpose and escorted 
2,500 to Fort McHenry. Reached the barracks about two A. M. 

July 6. Called at five A. M. to start at once, with one day's rations, 
on the Baltimore anjl Ohio Railroad. Spent the day in going within 
about three miles of Frederick. Slept on the train on the road to Har- 
per's Ferry. After much delay we started for Harper's Ferry, arriving 
within a mile of that place at half-past five P. M., leaving the cars at 
Sandy Hook, where we remained till half-past nine P. M., when we left 
in the storm for the Heights. In this we were much delayed by the 
artillery which preceded us, so that the three or four miles were not 
accom])lished till nearly three A. M. The last part of the distance was 
attended by a heavy rain which continued with little interruption till 
the middle of the forenoon. It was a difiicult and somewhat danger- 
ous march until we turned off into the mountains. We marched 
beside the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal into which Corporal McClellan, 
one of the best men of Company E, fell and was instantly drowned. 
This place is about eighty miles from Baltimore, and the ride one of 
the most si^lendid I have ever taken, especially after reaching the 
Potomac. I rode for a part of the time on the outside of the car, thus 
obtaining an extended view. Our progress was slow as we made 
many stops. Did almost nothing till three P. M. when we went out 
and were posted as picket, Company C being one of those which were 
favored this time, for we went but a short distance from camp and with 
Company H were held as a reserve, in case of an approach of the 
enemy, to support our pickets if driven in. The weather was fine, our 
place for sleeping good, and we were near a place where we could buy 
short-cake and milk and could pick plenty of berries, so that we fared 
well. Of course we could not sleep in the tent which we pitched this 
raoining. The day passed quietly and also the night, so far as I know 
much about it, six men being on guard and the rest retiring about dark. 
We had no alarm during the night and nothing to do during the fore- 
noon but eat, sleep and gather berries. About noon we heard some 
discharge of musketry and put all onr things in readiness for an imme- 
diate move, if necessary, but nothing of the kind was needed, and 
about five P. M. we joined the regiment on its w^ay back to camp. I 
understand our cavalry, of which 5,000 or more are scouring the 
country, had a brush with the rebels. We heard cannonading yester- 
day to some extent. We went to our camp and soon started for Sandy 



128 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

Hook, especially to go into Vii'ginia; had a fine view of Harper's 
Ferry. Now they say we are going back towards Sharpsburg. Are 
to take a day's rations, but do not know our destination yet. 

G. E. DcNi-Ai\ 

Sandy Hook, July 10, 1863. 

We spent most of the forenoon at Sandy Hook receiving orders. 
About 11 o'clock returned to our camp on Maryland Heights. It was 
very warm marching up in the middle of the day. It is about two 
miles instead of four to the Heights. It does not seem as far in the 
day-time, and when we can march right along, as it did in coming up 
niffht before last or rather the night of the 7th. 

July 11th. The three days' rations which we brought from Sandy 
Hook yesterday are to last till Monday morning. I should have stated 
that the colonel made us a speech last evening, telling us what he had 
done and what he hoped of us, also what he hoped for the regiment. 
It was a nice speech, and made a good impression. At 10 A. M. ten 
men and myself were detailed from Company C, with an equal nuiiiber 
from each of the other companies, to police the grounds ; this occupied 
us till noon, and then in the afternoon we moved tents to the company 
street and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. At 5 P. M. the 
right wing of the regiment was sent out on picket. The rest of the 
day was spent by me in improving the looks and condition of my 
gun. Our tent is quite nice and comfortable. I use a government 
haversack, being larger and more convenient, thereby sparing the con- 
dition of mine. No orders to-day, and we are "all quiet on the Poto- 
mac." Inspection at 9 A. M. My gun is in good order, considering 
what it has been through. About the middle of the forenoon it was 
reported that the left wing was to relieve the right, and soon after we 
were ordered to go to Sandy Hook and bring up three days' rations by 
hand. We went, and while there heard that we had received march- 
ing orders. On arriving at camp found that the right wing had come 
in, and that we were ordered to report at Boonesboro at 7 A. M. 
to-morrow ; this promised a march in the dark a distance of twelve or 
fourteen miles. We started from camp about sundown and marched 
out to the camp of the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts, which came in last 
night, and there remained till after nine waiting for the right wing, 
five companies, to take rations; then we started on what you may 
imagine was not an easy march. The surgeon excused all who went 
to him before starting, whether sick or not. 



nrTY-FIRST REGIMENT, MASS. VOLS. 129 

July 13. On reporting this morning at Boonesboro, we were 
ordered to proceed at once to Hagerstown, nine or ten miles farther 
on. We started, and here we are, having arrived at about 3 P. M. 
This is the hardest march we have had, with only few chances for 
resting and eating. We were pretty sure to sleep when resting. We 
belong now to the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac. I wisli 
you could see with my eyes these surroundings of war. I have seen 
more since leaving New Berne than in all the rest of my experience in 
the South. I have just been after some wheat-straw which I cut in a 
large wheat-field for my bed. The owner probably did not expect so 
many laborers in his harvest-time, as he can see there all the time now, 
when he sowed the field. Only a little skirmishing to-day. It rained 
about half the forenoon. 

14th. We passed the night quietly, with but a slight fall of rain. 
We were ordered to fall in about seven o'clock, but did not move. We 
are all ready for a start. It is almost noon. Colonel Sprague has been 
over near where the rebels were last night. 

G. E. DUNLAP. 

Hagerstown, Md., July 14, 1863. 
At one P. M. firing was heard in the direction of the Potomac and 
immediately thereafter the order was given to fall in, and in a short 
time we were marching toward the river. Our brigade was the re- 
serve and we did not come near the place of the engagement, but we 
marched on nearly to Williamsport, though but little firing was heard 
after starting. We encamped in a nice field of clover, stopping in 
the midst of a thunder-shower. After supper we, that is Corporal 
McFarland and myself, arranged a nice bed with boards, straw and 
blankets. We retired just in season to escape a heavy shower. This 
morning the bugle was sounded early for us to rise, and the order was 
soon given to be ready to start in twenty minutes. As our time was 
now fully at an end the companies decided not to go any farther 
towards the Potomac and indicated the same to their respective cap- 
tains, who immediately waited upon the Colonel informing him of the 
state of affairs ; he told them probably no order would be given for us to 
go on, but if there should be he would advise them to proceed. Soon 
the army began to retrace the steps of yesterday and we fell into our 
proper place and spent the day marching Avith the brigade, one of the 
hardest day's marching in the service. We made few and short halts 
till after sunset. When we halted there was no one from Company C 
to stack arms. 
13 



130 HISTORY OF COMPANY C, 

It was reported that we were to go to Berlin, the nearest point at 
which we could reach the railroad, and that the army was to cross 
into Virginia at that point on a pontoon bridge. We kept on with 
the army as the Colonel had only received verbal orders for our return 
to Massachusetts and could not detach the regiment without written 
orders. Very glad were we to encamp for the night. This night 
passed without rain ; rations for two days are given out. It 
is reported a lieutenant of the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts had died 
from fatigue, and also several men and horses were worn out and left 
behind. One cannot realize the feelings of those poor men who having 
endured to the last possible moment had lain down by the way to die. 
We started about sunrise, or rather within an hour after, and by easy 
marches went to within three miles of Berlin and encamped. Here 
we waited as patiently as possible for orders, but they did not come 
and we had to spend another night in the field. However, an apology 
was sent to the Colonel for neglecting us so long and directions for 
him to obtain transportation. The afternoon was chiefly spent in 
resting and sleeping. We had the happiness of being started alone 
for Berlin about noon, which we reached in due time and at three 
P. M. the appointed time found us in the cars. While waiting for the 
train, we saw the army crossing into Virginia. About half-past four 
we started, enjoying the luxury of a protection from the rain, which fell 
upon us for nearly twelve hours at our last encampment. We are in 
common freight-cars, which are quite comfortable with a nice carpet of 
straw. Having spent as comfortable a night as could be expected, 
we found ourselves in Baltimore about four A. M. After waiting an 
hour or two we obtained our breakfast at the Union Relief Associa- 
tion Rooms and then started for Belger Barracks, where we were cor- 
dially welcomed by those who were left behind. 

The names of all those who went to the front have been secured, 
and it is reported that each one of them is to receive a badge this 
afternoon indicating to what part of the army he belonged. We are 
busy preparing to start for home, expecting now to leave to-morrow 
morning. Our Captain has caused a cheese and a barrel of butter- 
crackers to be purchased. 

G. E. DUNLAP. 



THE DESERTED CAMP OF THE MASSACHUSETTS FIFTY-FIRST. 



By Henry S. Washbuun. 



No sentinel paces his weary round, 

Silent and lone is their cainpins^ ground. 

No roll-call at sunset, no drum-beat at morn, 

No blast of the bugle, no peal of the horn. 

They came when the harvest-moon, mellow and mild, 

Looked down on the mother who blessed her child, 

And the hunter's moon witnessed her tears as they fell, 

When her soldier-boy whispered his last farewell. 

I passed by the camp this brief, dark day, 

The snows of December upon it lay. 

The murky skies, like a leaden pall, 

Settled down drearily over all ; 

A silence oppressive pervaded the air. 

And I tarried only a moment there — 

Only a moment — for the joy and the light 

Of our homes and our altars have passed from our sight. 

Our noble boys of our brave Fifty-first, 

Whom our hearts have cherished and hands have nursed. 

Him of the quick eye and fine manly brow ; 

Tell us, O south wind, where are they now? 

And the south wind answers, and this its reply — 
"They are bearing the stars and stripes proudly on high. 
Under the pines they are marching to-day, 
Farther away — and still farther away ! " 

Father, all merciful, mighty and just. 

Tenderly shelter our Fifty-first ; 

Nerve them for conflict with valor and might, 

While they're defending the Truth and the Right ; 

Evermore shield them by night and by day, 

While marching away, and still farther away ! 

Worcester, Dec. 22, 1862. 



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